Comparison of platelet transfusion effectiveness between Helicobacter pylori-positive and -negative immune thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is characterized by early platelet destruction and impaired platelet production. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection seems to contribute to the pathogenesis in certain ITP patients in Japan. We compared the effectiveness of platelet transfusion in severe ITP in the presence or absence of H. pylori. The median corrected count increment (CCI) at 24 h after platelet transfusion (CCI-24) of the H. pylori-positive ITP patients was higher than that of the H. pylori-negative ITP patients (6463 vs. 754, p < 0.001), and the CCI-1 was also in the same direction but not significant (23 351 vs. 11 578). Multiple regression analyses showed that H. pylori infection was independently associated with CCI-24. Our study suggests that platelet transfusion may be more effective in H. pylori-positive ITP patients.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; immune thrombocytopenia; platelet transfusion.