title: Successful intravenous immune globulin therapy for human immunodeficiency virus-associated thrombocytopenia.
abstract: High-dose intravenous (IV) immune globulin was used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated thrombocytopenia four times in three patients. The average platelet count at initiation of therapy was 12 x 10(9)/L (12 x 10(3)/mm3), and the platelet count after therapy was 159 x 10(9)/L (159 x 10(3)/mm3), giving a mean increase of 147 x 10(9)/L (147 x 10(3)/mm3) (1225%). The conditions of two of these patients were refractory to corticosteroids, but giving IV immune globulin along with steroids appeared to enhance the response to IV immune globulin. A review of the literature revealed that 53 (88%) of 60 patients with HIV-associated thrombocytopenia responded to IV immune globulin with platelet counts greater than 50 x 10(9)/L (50 x 10(3)/mm3). We conclude that IV immune globulin therapy achieves transient elevations in platelet counts to levels that control bleeding and permit surgery in patients with severe, HIV-associated thrombocytopenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janinis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins