The role of helicobacter pylori infection in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children

Abstract

Background: Many studies had found obvious relation between helicobacter pylori infection and chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura; several studies have reported remission of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) after eradication of a coexistent Helicobacter pylori infection in adults, data in children are limited. Objective: To detect the association of H. pylori infection and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children and the effect of eradication of the infection on platelet count in these patients. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 83 chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura children with age range from 3 to 13 years. They were 46 males 37 females. Also the study included 104 healthy individual with the same range of age. They were 58 males and 46 females as a control group. This was between October 2018 and September 2019 in the Pediatric Hematology and GIT Clinics or inpatients wards of Pediatric Department. Results: Clinical benefit occurred in 31 cases of the 83 chronic ITP (cITP) patients screened; nevertheless, we have a simple, inexpensive, non‐invasive screening method; the adverse events of eradication therapy are negligible, together with an affordable cost, all uncommon attributes among the specific treatments currently available for cITP; therefore it is worthwhile to test for and treat H. pylori infection. Conclusion: Our data showed a prevalence of H. pylori infection in cITP pediatrics that was similar to other studies. We found that successful H. pylori eradication induced platelet response in 37.3% of 83 cases included in our study.