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As the involvement of oxidative stress (OS) in autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) has been reported, a fast and rapid test for the reliable measurement of OS and antioxidant capacities (AOCs) might be a useful tool in extending current diagnostic possibilities. The free oxygen radical test (FORT) and free oxygen radical defence (FORD) assay (Callegari, Italy) are easy to perform and reliable, with results available within 15 minutes. Thirty-seven AITP patients and 37 matched healthy individuals were included in this study. All participants responded to a standard questionnaire provided by these assays. Female patients with AITP were observed to demonstrate significantly higher OS in comparison to female controls (P=0.0027) and male AITP patients (P=0.0018). The AOCs were not reduced in patients with AITP (P=0.7648). Correlation of OS with platelet count identified a weak positive correlation (P=0.0327, SpearmanR=0.4672). The questionnaire revealed that ITP patients in comparison to healthy controls are more stressed, feel exhausted and fatigued, and eat a healthier diet. In conclusion, OS is predominant in female but not in male patients with AITP suggesting gender-specific differences in the pathomechanisms of AITP. Identification of patients with high levels of OS might be beneficial in the management of AITP.

Objectives. Most developmental processes are under the control of small regulatory RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs). We hypothesize that different fetal developmental processes might be reflected by extracellular miRNAs in maternal plasma and may be utilized as biomarkers for the noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal aneuploidies. In this proof-of-concept study, we report on the identification of extracellular miRNAs in maternal plasma of Down syndrome (DS) pregnancies.Methods. Using high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR), 1043 miRNAs were investigated in maternal plasma via comparison of seven DS pregnancies with age and fetal sex matched controls.Results. Six hundred and ninety-five miRNAs were identified. Thirty-six significantly differentially expressed mature miRNAs were identified as potential biomarkers. Hierarchical cluster analysis of these miRNAs resulted in the clear discrimination of DS from euploid pregnancies. Gene targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs were enriched in signaling pathways such as mucin type-O-glycans, ECM-receptor interactions, TGF-beta, and endocytosis, which have been previously associated with DS.Conclusions. miRNAs are promising and stable biomarkers for a broad range of diseases and may allow a reliable, cost-efficient diagnostic tool for the noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of DS.