The Condition"...Because the spleen filters the platelet-immune complex it may be necessary to remove it in order to reduce the production of anti-platelet antibodies and slow the clearance of platelets from the system..."
The Condition"Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) is the term used when the platelet count is low enough to cause very easy bruising..."
The Condition"...It can occur secondary to leukemia, in which the stem cells that yield white blood cells proliferate and crowd out the stem cells that produce platelets and red blood cells (yielding high white cell count and low RBC and..."
The Condition"...The acute manifestation can usually be controlled by a course of therapy using steroids to inhibit the immune response for a period of several weeks..."
Recommendation Vitamin E"...[Science 163: 762, 1946)] Note, however, that vitamin E is known to increase bleeding tendency by reducing platelet aggregation, so higher doses may be contraindicated for some patients..."
The Condition"...Secondary ITP This condition involves a defect in the production of platelets by the bone marrow that can occur as part of a general bone marrow dysfunction, in which both red and white blood cells are also produced insufficiently..."
The Condition"...Secondary ITP can also occur as the result of chemotherapy treatments..."
The Condition"...More recently, intravenous infusion of normal IgG to replace the body's anti-platelet IgG has been tried with some success and may replace splenectomy for some patients..."
The Condition"...Primary (or 'autoimmune') thrombocytopenia occurs mostly in children and young adults (typically before age 30), though it can rarely occur later in life..." Relationship to Lupus, SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythromatosis)"Lupus is suggested if thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count of under 100,000 platelets per cubic millimeter) is detected in the absence of drugs that are known to induce it..."