title: Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura. A study of 44 cases.
abstract: Thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP) is characterised by platelet aggregation in the capillaries, thrombocytopaenia and microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia that result in organ ischaemia, mainly of the CNS and kidneys. Since the institution of plasma exchange therapy no further treatments have been proved to improve the survival and the relapse rate of TTP patients. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of normal human immunoglobulin treatment in 44 patients suffering from TTP. Patients were divided into two groups that either did not receive (group A: 15 patients) or received (group B: 29 patients) 400 mg/kg of human normal immunoglobulin intravenously (ivIgG) for 5 days. All patients received treatment with corticosteroids, anti-platelet agents and plasma exchange. The results clearly showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in either remission rate or time to relapse following remission. In conclusion, this study did not prove any beneficial effect of ivIgG in the treatment of TTP patients.
authors.affiliation: Haemapheresis Unit, Division of Haematology, Second Department of Internal Medicine Propaedeutic, University of Athens, Evangelismos General Hospital, 45-47 Ipsilantou Street, GR-106 76 Athens, Greece. jderven@otenet.gr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dervenoulas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsirigotis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bollas
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Koumarianou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pappa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantzios
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xiros
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Economopoulos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pappa
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Raptis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011379:Prognosis; D011697:Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous