immature platelet fraction


immature platelet fraction

Abbreviation: IPF
The percent of platelets found in the circulating blood that still retains RNA. It is elevated (greater than 12%) in diseases in which platelets are rapidly destroyed after their release from the bone marrow, e.g., disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). These diseases can be distinguished from other thrombocytopenic conditions in which platelet regeneration is slower, e.g., aplastic anemia, liver failure, or kidney failure, because the IPF is usually less than 12% in diseases characterized by bone marrow inactivity or suppression. The IPF is determined using flow cytometry. See also: fraction