Here we report the case of a 20-year-old female patient previously diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and overt hypothyroidism, and who had been taking synthetic thyroxine (100micro/day) for eight months. She experienced intermittent dizziness and generalized weakness, and was diagnosed as having severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). We prescribed prednisolone treatment and continued synthetic thyroxine administration. Two years and five months later, she developed idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and was diagnosed with Evans' syndrome. Thereafter, laparoscopic splenectomy was performed because her autoimmune hemolytic anemia was refractory and dependent on steroid therapy. The HLA genotypes of the patient were HLA-A*020101/A*2602, HLA-B*270502/B*5401, HLA-Cw*0102/Cw*020202, HLA-DRB1*0404/DRB1*0405, and HLA-DQB1*0302/DQ B1*0401. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is often associated with other nonendocrine autoimmune diseases, and antithyroid antibodies are frequently observed in Evans' syndrome (coexistence of AIHA and ITP). However, there is no report of Evans' syndrome developing in patients with overt hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This case suggests that three autoimmune diseases (AIHA, ITP, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis) might share a common immunogenetic pathway in pathogenesis.
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic/blood/*complications ; Humans ; Hashimoto Disease/*complications/radionuclide imaging ; Female ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune/blood/*complications ; Adult

We report on a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, who, during the course of the illness, developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. In this case, the coexistence of these two conditions was confirmed by laboratory and pathologic findings. The infusion of fresh frozen plasma with plasmapheresis reversed the course of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Adult ; *Blood Transfusion ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*complications ; Male ; *Plasma ; *Plasmapheresis ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/etiology/*therapy ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical value of immature platelet fraction (IPF), absolute immature platelet fraction (A- IPF) and thrombelastograph (TEG) on assessment of bleeding risk of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).

METHODStwo hundred and seventy- one patients with ITP were assessed based on ITP-BAT bleeding grading system. IPF, A-IPF were determined in 271 patients ,TEG in 125 patients. The correlations between bleeding grades and IPF, A-IPF, variables of TEG in subgroups were analyzed by statistical method. The predictive value of IPF, A-IPF, and variables of TEG on bleeding risk of ITP patients was evaluated.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in bleeding degree in all patients with different gender and disease stage (P>0.05). Mild bleeding rate in children was higher than that in adult (P<0.05). PLT inversely correlated with bleeding grade for the entire cohort (P<0.001). In all subjects, PLT< 30 × 10⁹/L and pediatric cohorts with PLT< 30 × 10⁹/L, PLT were negatively correlated with IPF (P<0.05), positive correlated with A-IPF (P<0.001) and the maximum amplitude (MA (P<0.05). Bleeding grades were significantly correlated with IPF, A-IPF, MA in all subjects and patients with PLT< 30 × 10⁹/L (P<0.001). IPF, A-IPF and MA did not correlate with bleeding grades in children with PLT< 30 × 10⁹/L (P>0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed IPF, A-IPF and MA had better predictive value (AUC 0.745, 0.744, 0.813, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that IPF and MA were independence factors for predicting bleeding risk in ITP patients and comprehensive predictive value was higher (AUC 0.846, P<0.001) than single variable.

CONCLUSIONIPF, A-IPF and MA could accurately evaluate bleeding risk in ITP patients. It may be considered as reference index of the treatment and observation index of curative effect.

Adult ; Blood Platelets ; Child ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; complications ; physiopathology ; ROC Curve

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell/*complications/pathology/surgery ; Danazol/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/*complications/pathology/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/blood/drug therapy/*etiology

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Shengxueling (SXL) on idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and study the possible mechanism.

METHODSEighty-six cases of ITP were randomly divided into two groups. The SXL group, 56 patients treated with SXL, a traditinal Chinese medicine and 30 patients administered with prednisone were taken as control. Each group took drugs for 3 months and was under follow-up observation.

RESULTSIn the SXL group, the total effective rate was 85.71%, similar to prednisone 83.33% (P > 0.05) for 3 months, but the total effective rate of SXL (91.07%) were obviously better than that of the control group (53.33%) (P < 0.01) for 6 months and had no obvious adverse reaction. The patients bleeding was alleviated or stopped, the general condition was improved. At the same time, blood platelet count (PLT) was increased, platelet associated immunoglobulin (PAIg) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were markedly dropped, the level of natural killers cells activity (NKa) increased, the rate of T lymphocyte subsets gradually returned to normal level. Megakaryocyte tended to maturation on bone marrow smear after treatment. All differences above were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSXL is an effective and safe medicine for ITP. Its mechanism could regulate cytoimmune, inhibit platelet antibody to reduce the destruction of platelet, increase the number of platelet, promote the division and maturation of megakaryocyte, facilitate the production and release of platelet, lower the fragility of capillary, prevent and cure hemorrhagic tendency.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Platelets ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Killer Cells, Natural ; pathology ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; adverse effects ; Plant Preparations ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Platelet Count ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; blood ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a condition that often develops in young women and, consequently, physicians should frequently manage and monitor pregnant patients with this disorder. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 30 women with chronic ITP delivered in 31 pregnancies from January 1995 to December 2003. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were diagnosed with ITP before pregnancy and sixteen patients were diagnosed during pregnancy. The mean platelet counts before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and at delivery were 70, 040/mm3, 83, 960/mm3, and 62, 680/mm3, respectively. The symptoms of hemostatic impairment were not noted in most of the pregnancies (77%, 24/31). During pregnancy and at delivery, most of the women (61%, 19/31) received various kinds of treatment to raise platelet counts. At delivery, the most commonly used therapy was platelet transfusion (48.4%, 15/31). Seven pregnancies (22.6%) were treated with corticosteroids during pregnancy and at delivery. Five pregnancies (16.1%) were treated with IV IgG during pregnancy and at delivery. Fifteen deliveries (51.7%) were performed by cesarean section and fourteen (48.3%) with vaginal delivery. Bleeding was uncommon at delivery. There were no cases of infants with any clinical signs of hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: Our current results suggest that ITP in pregnancy can proceed safely with low hemorrhagic risk in both infants and mothers, and that mothers with ITP can deliver healthy infants without serious hemorrhagic complications.
Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Comparative Study ; *Delivery, Obstetric/methods ; Female ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use ; Infant, Newborn ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Transfusion ; Pregnancy ; *Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic/blood/diagnosis ; *Pregnancy Outcome ; *Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/blood/diagnosis/therapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVEIdiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a hemorrhagic disease in children with blood platelets redundant destruction caused by chaotic immunological mechanism. However, some patients with ITP with negative platelet-associated antibody and ineffective adrenal cortical hormone therapy probably have special pathogenesis. It is indicated that the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can incubate in haemopoietic stem cell/ancestral cell to inhibit its generation and differentiation. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate HCMV-late mRNA expression in megakaryoblast for the purpose of examining the pathogenesis of ITP and to examine the effectiveness of ganciclovir on ITP.

METHODSColony forming unit-megakaryocyte (CFU-MK) of 46 ITP patients with HCMV infection were incubated. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was subsequently used for HCMV-late mRNA detection. Ganciclovir therapy was given to both positive group and negative group for comparison of therapeutic effectiveness.

RESULTSNineteen out of 46 CFU-MK culture cell specimens with positive HCMV-DNA by PCR or positive CMV-IgM by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from serum of peripheral blood showed positive for HCMV-late mRNA. While, the remaining 27 were negative. Sixteen positive responders to ganciclovir therapy were observed amongst those with positive HCMV-DNA. Whereas, only 4 positive responders to ganciclovir therapy were noticed amongst those with negative HCMV-DNA. The curative effectiveness in positive group was significantly higher than that in negative group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHCMV can directly infect CFU-MK, which might be one of the mechanisms responsible for ITP. Ganciclovir is an effective therapy resulting in an increase in thrombocyte in ITP patients whose HCMV-late mRNA was positive in their CFU-MK.

Adolescent ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Blood Platelets ; drug effects ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Ganciclovir ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; immunology ; Infant ; Male ; Megakaryocyte Progenitor Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; complications ; drug therapy ; immunology ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Viral ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction