Thioacetamide-induced liver damage and thrombocytopenia is associated with induction of antiplatelet autoantibody in mice

Thrombocytopenia is usually associated with liver injury, elevated plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, and high antiplatelet immunoglobulin (Ig) titers, although the mechanism behind these effects remains elusive. Deciphering the mechanism behind acute liver disease–associated thrombocytopenia may help solve difficulties in routine patient care, such as liver biopsy, antiviral therapy, and surgery. To determine whether liver damage is sufficient per se to elicit thrombocytopenia, thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatitis rodent models were employed. The analysis results indicated that TAA treatment transiently induced an elevation of antiplatelet antibody titer in both rats and mice. B-cell-deficient (BCD) mice, which have loss of antibody expression, exhibited markedly less thrombocytopenia and liver damage than wild-type controls. Because TAA still induces liver damage in BCD mice, this suggests that antiplatelet Ig is one of the pathogenic factors, which play exacerbating role in the acute phase of TAA-induced hepatitis. TNF-α was differentially regulated in wild-type versus BCD mice during TAA treatment, and anti-TNF treatment drastically ameliorated antiplatelet Ig induction, thrombocytopenia, and liver injury, suggesting that the TNF pathway plays a critical role in the disease progression.