Impact of Helicobacter pylori Eradication in Children with Acute Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Randomized Controlled Study

At present, some evidence supports the role of Helicobacter pylori eradication in treating childhood immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).

This study was designed to investigate the association between H. pylori eradication and platelet count in children with acute ITP.

Thirty children with a diagnosis of acute ITP and H. pylori infection were studied. This randomized and controlled study was done in Amir-Kabir Hospital, Arak, Iran. Patients were randomly allocated 1:1 to standard ITP and H. pylori treatments or standard ITP treatment. For 6 months, studied subjects had monthly follow-ups.

The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age was 11 years with a majority of females (67.9 % vs. 32.1 %). The mean platelet count was 16.93 ± 10.1 (109/L) in the ITP and H. pylori therapy group, and15.0 ± 3.8 (109/L) in the ITP therapy group at the baseline. After 1 week of treatment, mean platelet counts increased to 136.5 ± 55.20 and 124.0 ± 45.70 in the two groups, respectively (109/L). The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant at other time intervals. Children that received ITP and H. pylori therapies had a higher rate of gastrointestinal symptoms (P < 0.01).

Our findings suggest that H. pylori eradication did not significantly affect the platelet count compared to standard ITP therapy in children with acute ITP.