Yahoo Associated Content
10-17-2011
ITP: The Platelet Killing Silent Stalker
It is the most common bleeding disorder that most people do not know anything about.
ITP can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time without warning. This disease does not discriminate by age, race or nationality; instead it will jeopardize anyone’s body, placing it in a never-ending battle against itself.
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura or ITP is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system
produces autoantibodies that attach to proteins on the patient’s platelets, resulting in them being destroyed
by the white blood cells. Since platelets are what cause the blood to clot and seal tiny holes in blood
vessels, a low platelet count can result in blood seeping through the walls of capillaries, veins and arteries
leading to unexplained bruising, bleeding gums or noses, and petechiae. ITP can also cause internal
hemorrhaging in the stomach, brain, kidneys or liver.
“ITP is the most common bleeding disorder that most people do not know anything about,” says Caroline
Kruse, executive director of the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA).
What causes ITP? In some people, certain drugs like quinine or sulfa-like drugs and even some
antibiotics can lower platelet counts, or it may be associated with other diseases such as non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma, or infections such as HIV or hepatitis. Helicobacter Pylori, the bacteria that cause stomach
ulcers, has also been tied to the lowering of platelet counts and diagnosis of ITP. At the time of this writing,
there are studies being conducted around the world to determine if there are environmental or food
intolerance triggers, but so far no conclusive results are available. In most people the cause is unknown,
hence the original term idiopathic.
There are two types of ITP, acute and chronic. Acute ITP is found mainly in children and is associated
with the body’s reaction to a virus. This usually disappears with time and treatment. Only a small percentage
of children diagnosed will develop chronic ITP. The most feared complication is intracranial hemorrhage, a
bleeding in the brain, like a stroke. Fortunately, this is rare, occurring in less than one half to one percent of
the children diagnosed with ITP. Chronic ITP is found mainly in adolescents and adults and is much more
difficult to cure. In fact, there is no sure cure, only treatments to control the production and protection of
platelets.
“This blood disorder is a never-ending roller coaster ride for the folks afflicted with this chronic disease. The
goal is to have a steady platelet count with no large drops in the numbers. There are various treatments
including corticosteroids, immunoglobulin (IVIg), rituxan, immunosuppressants, chemo drugs, and
splenectomy used to attain this goal, but the results and side effects vary from person to person,” says
Kruse.
According to the PDSA, chronic ITP affects both sexes and all ages and races. The estimated prevalence of
Adult ITP in the US is 50-60,000, but that estimate is based on a limited payor source, so the likely total is
closer to 120,000 persons. That's more than 10 times the number with Hemophilia.
10-17-2011
ITP: The Platelet Killing Silent Stalker
It is the most common bleeding disorder that most people do not know anything about.
ITP can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time without warning. This disease does not discriminate by age, race or nationality; instead it will jeopardize anyone’s body, placing it in a never-ending battle against itself.
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura or ITP is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system
produces autoantibodies that attach to proteins on the patient’s platelets, resulting in them being destroyed
by the white blood cells. Since platelets are what cause the blood to clot and seal tiny holes in blood
vessels, a low platelet count can result in blood seeping through the walls of capillaries, veins and arteries
leading to unexplained bruising, bleeding gums or noses, and petechiae. ITP can also cause internal
hemorrhaging in the stomach, brain, kidneys or liver.
“ITP is the most common bleeding disorder that most people do not know anything about,” says Caroline
Kruse, executive director of the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA).
What causes ITP? In some people, certain drugs like quinine or sulfa-like drugs and even some
antibiotics can lower platelet counts, or it may be associated with other diseases such as non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma, or infections such as HIV or hepatitis. Helicobacter Pylori, the bacteria that cause stomach
ulcers, has also been tied to the lowering of platelet counts and diagnosis of ITP. At the time of this writing,
there are studies being conducted around the world to determine if there are environmental or food
intolerance triggers, but so far no conclusive results are available. In most people the cause is unknown,
hence the original term idiopathic.
There are two types of ITP, acute and chronic. Acute ITP is found mainly in children and is associated
with the body’s reaction to a virus. This usually disappears with time and treatment. Only a small percentage
of children diagnosed will develop chronic ITP. The most feared complication is intracranial hemorrhage, a
bleeding in the brain, like a stroke. Fortunately, this is rare, occurring in less than one half to one percent of
the children diagnosed with ITP. Chronic ITP is found mainly in adolescents and adults and is much more
difficult to cure. In fact, there is no sure cure, only treatments to control the production and protection of
platelets.
“This blood disorder is a never-ending roller coaster ride for the folks afflicted with this chronic disease. The
goal is to have a steady platelet count with no large drops in the numbers. There are various treatments
including corticosteroids, immunoglobulin (IVIg), rituxan, immunosuppressants, chemo drugs, and
splenectomy used to attain this goal, but the results and side effects vary from person to person,” says
Kruse.
According to the PDSA, chronic ITP affects both sexes and all ages and races. The estimated prevalence of
Adult ITP in the US is 50-60,000, but that estimate is based on a limited payor source, so the likely total is
closer to 120,000 persons. That's more than 10 times the number with Hemophilia.