Treatment with short-term,high-dose cyclosporin A in children with refractory chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

We report on 14 children (seven boys, seven girls) with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) refractory to multiple treatments, who were given a short-term therapy (range between 6 and 10 weeks) with high doses of cyclosporin A (CyA) (median, 10 mg/kg/d). Six patients experienced adverse events and one developed severe systemic mycosis during therapy. A complete response (CR) was observed in four patients and a partial response (PR) in three patients. Only the four CR patients, who were all girls, had a sustained response. These data suggest that CyA may be effective in some children with chronic symptomatic ITP.     

A case report of transfusion-related acute lung injury during plasma exchange therapy for thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a transfusion reaction that is often under recognized and underreported. Implications for diagnosis not only influence treatment considerations but also extend to donor selection, donor deferral and ultimately the safety of the final blood product. We report a case of a previously well 19-year-old female who presented a one week history of flu-like symptoms and mucosal bleeding. Laboratory results confirmed the diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopaenia purpura (TTP) and she was commenced on plasma exchange. During her second day of plasma exchange, she developed dyspnoea and rigors. Examination and investigation findings were consistent with a clinical diagnosis of TRALI. Granulocytes immunofluorescent test (GIFT - flow cytometry) was performed and cross reactivity was demonstrated between the patient's granulocytes and plasma from one of the nine donor fresh frozen plasma (FFP) packs. She made a full recovery. TRALIa accounts for 7% of all adverse events reported in the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) database and has a mortality rate between 5-25%. Apheresis patients are a particularly vulnerable group of patients where clinical recognition and rapid laboratory confirmation of TRALI is imperative to minimize the risk of further patient exposure to donor granulocyte or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies. The provision of plasma from male donors may additionally reduce exposure. On a wider scale, rapid donor identification and deferral maintains the safety of the national blood supply.     

High-dose intravenous IgG for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults

Summary Sixteen adult patients of mean age 48 years with chronic ITP were studied for platelet response to high-dose (0.4 g/kg body weight per day for five consecutive days) intravenous polyvalent intact IgG in the absence of any concurrent treatment. The platelet count returned to normal values in nine patients, a partial response (rise in the platelet count between 50 and 150 ×10⁹/l) was observed in three cases. One patient refractory to any other treatment went into a sustained remission. In the other responsive patients the response was only transient. Among seven splenectomised patients only three responded to IgG infusions versus nine in the non-splenectomised group. The length of ITP history appeared as a more critical factor for the response to IgG than previous splenectomy.     

Stenosing ureteritis in Henoch–Schönlein purpura: Report of two cases

Stenosing ureteritis (SU), a rare complication of Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP), typically presents with severe symptoms. We report the cases of two HSP patients presenting with gross hematuria, blood clotting, and colicky flank pain, followed by purpura on the lower extremities. Early‐stage ultrasonography indicated hydronephrosis, thickened renal pelvic mucous membrane, and ureteral dilatation (UD), suggesting HSP complicated with SU. After early SU treatment with prednisolone, kidney function, thickened renal pelvic mucous membrane, and UD progressively normalized and the pain gradually disappeared. Regular ultrasonography of HSP patients from the onset of gross hematuria can be useful to detect early SU and facilitate conservative therapy with prednisolone. Diagnosis of SU can be easily missed by assuming HSP nephritis, particularly owing to the non‐specific symptoms. Common characteristics as well as treatment methods and prognosis of SU are given in the literature review.     

糖皮质激素治疗慢性特发性血小板减少性紫癜疗效相关因素分析

目的：探讨影响糖皮质激素治疗慢性特发性血小板减少性紫癜疗效的有关因素。方法：采用Logistic回归对74例经糖皮质激素治疗的慢性特发性血小板减少性紫癜患者性别、年龄、是否并发除皮肤出血以外较严重的出血表现、起病至开始治疗时间、是否有脾脏肿大、是否并发肝炎病毒感染、治疗前血小板计数、骨髓巨核细胞数8项因素进行多因素分析。结果：起病至开始治疗时间，是否并发肝炎病毒感染，骨髓巨核细胞数是影响糖皮质激素治疗慢性特发性血小板减少性紫癜疗效的相关因素。结论：分析患者治疗前各项可能影响疗效的相关因素，对于指导慢性特发性血小板减少性紫癜治疗方案的选择，尤其是合理掌握糖皮质激素的使用时间有重要意义。     

幽门螺杆菌感染与儿童过敏性紫癜相关性的 Meta分析

目的：综合分析幽门螺杆菌（Hp）感染与儿童过敏性紫癜（HSP）的关系。方法通过检索 PubMed、Medline、Em‐base、万方数据库、中国期刊全文数据库（CNKI）、中国生物医学数据库（CBM ）及维普（VIP）等数据库,检索时间均为建库开始至2014年,全面收集公开发表的关于Hp感染与儿童 HSP关系的病例对照研究资料,采用 Meta分析方法对所有文献进行综合分析,并计算综合的优势比（odds ratio ,OR）值和95％可信区间（confidence interval ,CI）。结果共检索到相关文献68篇,最终纳入符合条件的文献13篇。结果显示,HSP组与对照组为：OR（95％ CI）为3.17（2.53～3.97）,合并效应量的检验结果Z＝10.06,P＜0.00001;腹型HSP与非腹型HSP组为：OR（95％ CI）为3.43（1.83～6.43）,合并效应量的检验结果Z＝3.85, P＝0.0001。结论 Hp感染与儿童 HSP的发病密切相关,尤其是腹型 HSP。     

Protein C deficiency

Summary. Severe protein C deficiency (i.e. protein C activity <1 IU dL^?1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that usually presents in the neonatal period with purpura fulminans (PF) and severe disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), often with concomitant venous thromboembolism (VTE). Recurrent thrombotic episodes (PF, DIC, or VTE) are common. Homozygotes and compound heterozygotes often possess a similar phenotype of severe protein C deficiency. Mild (i.e. simple heterozygous) protein C deficiency, by contrast, is often asymptomatic but may involve recurrent VTE episodes, most often triggered by clinical risk factors. The coagulopathy in protein C deficiency is caused by impaired inactivation of factors Va and VIIIa by activated protein C after the propagation phase of coagulation activation. Mutational analysis of symptomatic patients shows a wide range of genetic mutations. Management of acute thrombotic events in severe protein C deficiency typically requires replacement with protein C concentrate while maintaining therapeutic anticoagulation; protein C replacement is also used for prevention of these complications around surgery. Long‐term management in severe protein C deficiency involves anticoagulation with or without a protein C replacement regimen. Although many patients with severe protein C deficiency are born with evidence of in utero thrombosis and experience multiple further events, intensive treatment and monitoring can enable these individuals to thrive. Further research is needed to better delineate optimal preventive and therapeutic strategies.     

Clinico-pathological association of Henoch-Schoenlein purpura nephritis and IgA nephropathy in children

Objective: Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are similar syndromes. We aimed to determine whether the crescent formation/immunocomplex in glomeruli is associated with the differences of the biochemical indexes between HSPN and IgAN. Methods: We investigated the medical records of 137 HSPN cases and 41 IgAN cases from January 2009 to April 2014 in Nanjing Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The clinical and pathological data were analyzed and compared between HSPN and IgAN. Results: HSPN patients had markedly higher levels of blood white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobulin (Hb) and platelet (PLT), lower levels of hematuria, blood nitrogen (BUN) and C4 compared with IgAN cases. Crescents formation and C3 deposition in the kidney did not affect these differences. Significantly lower levels of hematuria, blood IgG, IgM and C4 in HSPN compared with IgAN cases were observed among patients with IgG deposition. Markedly higher levels of WBC and Hb, lower levels of hematuria, creatinine (Cr), C4 in HSPN compared with IgAN cases were observed among patients with IgM deposition. No marked differences of the biochemical indexes were noted between HSPN and IgAN cases among patients with C1q deposition. Markedly higher levels of WBC and Hb, lower level of blood C4 in HSPN compared with IgAN cases were observed among patients with fibrogen deposition. Conclusions: The different levels of biochemical indexes at presentation between HSPN and IgAN may be associated with the deposition of IgG, IgM, C1q and fibrogen in the kidney.