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Previous Volume 359:1291-1293 September 18, 2008 Number 12 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Kishimoto et al. (June 5 issue)¹ report that contamination of heparin with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) can induce anaphylactoid reactions through activation of the contact system. OSCS can also induce a clinical syndrome that is indistinguishable from immune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia,² since the antigens are not heparin-specific but can be generated by other polysaccharides depending on the chain length and degree of sulfation.³ Hypersulfated polysaccharides behave as "super-heparins" in the induction of immune thrombocytopenia.^2,3

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is relatively common and often consequential.⁴ At least 10 to 20% of affected patients die or have permanent sequelae such as stroke . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Alban, S., Luhn, S. (2008). Prothrombin Time for Detection of Contaminated Heparins. NEJM 359: 2732-2734 [Full Text]