Prevalence of diagnosed adult immune thrombocytopenia in the United Kingdom

Difficult-to-treat primary immune thrombocytopenia in adults: Prevalence and burden. Results from the CARMEN-France registry

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and the burden of difficult-to-treat primary ITP (pITP), defined by the need for another ITP treatment after romiplostim and eltrombopag. Adult patients were selected in the prospective, real-world CARMEN-France registry up to December 2021. Out of 821 adult patients with pITP, 29 had difficult-to-treat ITP (3.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3%-4.8% in total; 7.6%; 95% CI: 4.9%-10.2% of patients needing ≥2nd line treatment). The 3-year cumulative incidence of bleeding, infection and thrombosis was 100%, 24.1% and 13.8% respectively. The median cumulative duration of hospital stays was 31 days (median follow-up: 30.3 months).

Platelet Count During Course of Cardiogenic Shock

The study investigates the prognostic value of the platelet count in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). Limited data regarding the prognostic value of platelets in patients suffering from CS is available. Consecutive patients with CS from 2019 to 2021 were included at one institution. Firstly, the prognostic value of the baseline platelet count was tested for 30-day all-cause mortality. Thereafter, the prognostic impact of platelet decline during course of intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization was assessed. A total of 249 CS patients were included with a median platelet count of 224 × 10 6 /ml. No association of the baseline platelet count with the risk of 30-day all-cause mortality was found (log-rank p = 0.563; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.879; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.557-1.387; p = 0.579). In contrast, a decrease of platelet count by ≥ 25% from day 1 to day 3 was associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality (55% vs. 39%; log-rank p = 0.045; HR = 1.585; 95% CI 0.996-2.521; p = 0.052), which was still evident after multivariable adjustment (HR = 1.951; 95% CI 1.116-3.412; p = 0.019). Platelet decrease during the course of ICU hospitalization but not the baseline platelet count was associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause mortality in CS patients.

Treatment preferences towards thrombopoietin-receptor agonists for immune thrombocytopenia and experience of disease (TRAPeze): Italy cohort

OBJECTIVE

Identify patient preference towards thrombopoietin-receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) and determine the clinical and social impact of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in Italy.

METHODS

The Thrombopoietin-Receptor Agonist Patient experience (TRAPeze) survey collected responses from Italian residents from 17th January to 28th February 2022. TRAPeze utilized a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit patient preferences towards TPO-RA attributes and a patient burden survey (PBS) to determine ITP disease characteristics and social impact.

RESULTS

Seventy-six respondents completed the DCE, of which 69 completed both the DCE and PBS (mean [range] age 45 [18.0-73.0] years, 80% female). TPO-RA attributes with the greatest influence over respondent choice were method of administration (odds ratio [OR] 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.16-4.06), drug-food interactions (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.17-1.86) and frequency of dosing (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.15-1.52). Respondents were more likely to prefer therapies administered orally over subcutaneous injection (OR 3.76; 95% CI 2.51-5.63), once weekly over once daily (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.26-2.65), and therapies without food restrictions over with restrictions (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.17-2.14).The most frequently reported symptoms were bruising (82%), petechiae (65%) and fatigue (64%). Most respondents (84%) felt ITP impacted familial relationships and 71% of employed respondents reported fatigue influencing their ability to work, with 31% reducing working hours.

CONCLUSION

Although responses indicated a moderate perception of general health, ITP clearly impacted respondent work and social life. Our findings demonstrate respondents preferred TPO-RAs delivered orally, with less frequent dosing and without food restrictions.

Epidemiology of immune thrombocytopenia: study of adult patients at a referral hematology service in Northeastern Brazil

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired bleeding disorder observed in the clinical practice. Little is known about its epidemiology in Brazil. The present study was conducted at a hematology referral center which covers a population of over 8 million in 184 municipalities in the state of Ceará. The purpose of this study was to draw a demographic profile of adult ITP patients with regard to sex, age, geographical origin and distribution across the state, and the proportion of secondary ITP. Following ethics committee approval, information was collected with an ad hoc instrument. The sample consisted of 187 adult ITP patients attending the Walter Cantídio University Hospital in 2015. The median follow-up time was 67 months (range: 1 month to 29 years). Female sex (n = 154; 82.35 %) was strongly prevalent in all age brackets, with an overall female/male ratio of 4.7:1. The median age was 41 ± 16.1 with an interquartile range of 29-55.5 years; there was no difference between the genders. Secondary ITP (18/187; 9.6 %) displayed a bimodal distribution and a linear increase between 38 and >68 years of age. The results of this survey on the epidemiology of ITP in Brazil suggest that ethnic and geographical factors may have a great impact on age and sex distribution and on the distribution of secondary ITP.

Development and internal validation of a clinical prediction model for the diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a diagnosis of exclusion that can resemble other thrombocytopenic disorders.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a clinical prediction model (CPM) for the diagnosis of ITP to aid hematogists in investigating patients presenting with undifferentiated thrombocytopenia.

METHODS

We designed a CPM for ITP diagnosis at the time of the initial hematology consultation using penalized logistic regression based on data from patients with thrombocytopenia enrolled in the McMaster ITP registry (n = 523) called the Predict-ITP Tool. The case definition for ITP was a platelet count less than 100 × 109 /L and a platelet count response after high-dose corticosteroids or intravenous immune globulin, defined as the achievement of a platelet count above 50 × 109 /L and at least a doubling of baseline. Internal validation was done using bootstrap resampling. Model discrimination was assessed by the c-statistic, and calibration was assessed by the calibration slope, calibration-in-the-large, and calibration plot.

RESULTS

The final model included the following variables: (1) platelet count variability (based on three or more platelet count values), (2) lowest platelet count value, (3) maximum mean platelet volume, and (4) history of major bleeding (defined by the ITP bleeding scale). The optimism-corrected c-statistic was 0.83, the calibration slope was 0.88, and calibration-in-the-large for all performance measures was <0.001 with standard error <0.001, indicating good discrimination and excellent calibration.

CONCLUSIONS

The Predict-ITP Tool can estimate the likelihood of ITP for a given patient with thrombocytopenia at the time of the initial hematology consultation. The tool had high predictive accuracy for the diagnosis of ITP.

Real-world impact of primary immune thrombocytopenia and treatment with thrombopoietin receptor agonists on quality of life based on patient-reported experience: Results from a questionnaire conducted in Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium

Aims of the study

Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) are approved for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), but their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains poorly investigated in clinical practice. This observational study aimed to gain insight into real-world patient-reported experiences of the burden of ITP and TPO-RAs.

Method

An online questionnaire of closed questions was used to collect views of patients with primary ITP from Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium, between September 2018 and April 2020.

Results

Of 46 patients who completed the questionnaire (total cohort), 41% were receiving TPO-RAs. A numerically higher proportion of patients reported being free from symptoms at the time of the questionnaire (54%) than at diagnosis (24%), irrespective of treatment type. Bleeding, the most frequently reported symptom at diagnosis (59%), was reduced at the time of the questionnaire (7%). Conversely, fatigue was reported by approximately 40% of patients at both diagnosis and the time of the questionnaire. Having a normal life and their disease under control was reported by 83% and 76%, respectively, but 41% were worried/anxious about their condition. Nearly 50% reported that ITP impaired their engagement in hobbies/sport or energy levels and 63% reported no impact on employment. When stratified by TPO-RA use, bleeding was better controlled in those receiving TPO-RAs than not (0% vs 11%). A numerically lower proportion receiving TPO-RAs than not reported worry/anxiety about their condition (16% vs 59%) and shifting from full-time to part-time employment (11% vs 22%). Similar proportions were satisfied with their therapy whether they were receiving TPO-RAs or not (89% vs 85%).

Conclusions

Many factors affect HRQoL in patients with ITP. Of patients receiving TPO-RAs, none experienced bleeding at the time of the questionnaire; they also showed a more positive perspective for some outcomes than those not using TPO-RAs. However, fatigue was not reduced by any treatment.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia in very elderly patients: particularities in presentation and management: results from the prospective CARMEN-France Registry

Data about the presentation and the management of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in very elderly patients (VEPs; aged ≥80 years) are lacking. The aim of the present study was to describe ITP in this subgroup. The data source was the prospective CARMEN-France registry. Patients included between 2013 and 2018 were selected. ITP presentation and management in VEPs was compared to elderly patients (EPs; aged 65-79 years). We assessed factors associated with bleeding at ITP onset in VEPs. Of 541 patients, 184 were included: 87 in the VEP group and 97 in the EP group. The mean age was 85·7 years in the VEP group. Comorbidities were more frequent in the VEP group (67·4% vs. 47·9%). The median platelet count at ITP onset was similar but severe bleeding tended to be more frequent in VEPs (10·3% vs. 4·1%, P = 0·1) as well as mortality. Exposure to ITP drugs, response to first-line treatment, need of second-line treatment, evolution towards persistency, occurrence of bleeding, infection and thrombosis did not differ between groups. In VEPs, factors associated to bleeding were female sex [odds ratio (OR) 4·75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·31-17·32] and platelet count of <20 × 10⁹ /l (OR 10·05, 95% CI 4·83-67·39). Exposure to anticoagulants was strongly associated with severe bleeding (OR 7·61, 95% CI 1·77-32·83).

Could dementia be detected from UK primary care patients' records by simple automated methods earlier than by the treating physician? A retrospective case-control study

Background: Timely diagnosis of dementia is a policy priority in the United Kingdom (UK). Primary care physicians receive incentives to diagnose dementia; however, 33% of patients are still not receiving a diagnosis. We explored automating early detection of dementia using data from patients' electronic health records (EHRs). We investigated: a) how early a machine-learning model could accurately identify dementia before the physician; b) if models could be tuned for dementia subtype; and c) what the best clinical features were for achieving detection. Methods: Using EHRs from Clinical Practice Research Datalink in a case-control design, we selected patients aged >65y with a diagnosis of dementia recorded 2000-2012 (cases) and matched them 1:1 to controls; we also identified subsets of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia patients. Using 77 coded concepts recorded in the 5 years before diagnosis, we trained random forest classifiers, and evaluated models using Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC). We examined models by year prior to diagnosis, subtype, and the most important features contributing to classification. Results: 95,202 patients (median age 83y; 64.8% female) were included (50% dementia cases). Classification of dementia cases and controls was poor 2-5 years prior to physician-recorded diagnosis (AUC range 0.55-0.65) but good in the year before (AUC: 0.84). Features indicating increasing cognitive and physical frailty dominated models 2-5 years before diagnosis; in the final year, initiation of the dementia diagnostic pathway (symptoms, screening and referral) explained the sudden increase in accuracy. No substantial differences were seen between all-cause dementia and subtypes. Conclusions: Automated detection of dementia earlier than the treating physician may be problematic, if using only primary care data. Future work should investigate more complex modelling, benefits of linking multiple sources of healthcare data and monitoring devices, or contextualising the algorithm to those cases that the GP would need to investigate.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura increased risk of subsequent pancreatitis: A Nationwide population cohort study

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is characterized by thrombocytopenia and bleeding diathesis. Pancreatitis is a very rare complication but may be fatal. We analyzed data of newly diagnosed ITP patients, excluding those with a history of splenectomy, unknown sex or date of birth, or preexisting pancreatitis at the time of ITP diagnosis, and compared these with selected age-, gender-, and index-year-matched controls, using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 1996 to 2013. The study enrolled 100,177 ITP patients and 100,177 controls. We found that pancreatitis risk was higher in secondary ITP patients, regardless of age group, gender, baseline Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score, history of biliary stone, hyperlipidemia, or alcoholism, than in the control population. Primary ITP patients with CCI score 1 and without biliary tract stone history also showed a higher pancreatitis risk than the controls. The incidence rate and cumulative incidence of pancreatitis were increased in primary, secondary, and unspecified ITP cases. These phenomena may be related to the presence of autoantibodies against glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, or to IgG4, microparticle obstruction, or sclerosis. We noted a direct association between ITP and the development of pancreatitis in Taiwan population.

Association of Thrombocytopenia, Revascularization, and In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

The impact of thrombocytopenia on revascularization and outcomes in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction remains poorly understood. We sought to evaluate associations between thrombocytopenia, in-hospital management, bleeding, and cardiovascular outcomes in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction in the United States.

METHODS

Patients hospitalized from 2004 to 2014 with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were identified from the National Inpatient Sample. Management of acute myocardial infarction was compared between patients with and without thrombocytopenia. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate odds of in-hospital adverse events stratified by thrombocytopenia and adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities, and treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 6,717,769 patients were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, and thrombocytopenia was reported in 219,351 (3.3%). Patients with thrombocytopenia were older, more likely to have other medical comorbidities, were more likely to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (28.8% vs 8.2%, P < .001), and were less likely to receive a drug-eluting stent (15.5% vs 29.5%, P < .001). After multivariable adjustment, thrombocytopenia was independently associated with nearly twofold increased odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.86-1.97). Thrombocytopenia was also independently associated with ischemic stroke, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, and bleeding complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with thrombocytopenia in the setting of acute myocardial infarction had increased odds of bleeding, cardiovascular outcomes, and mortality compared with patients without thrombocytopenia. Future investigations to mitigate the poor prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction and thrombocytopenia are warranted.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treated with romiplostim in routine clinical practice: retrospective study from the United Kingdom ITP Registry

BACKGROUND

Romiplostim is a thrombopoietin-mimetic peptibody for adult refractory chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We aimed to describe ITP patients receiving romiplostim, platelet counts and romiplostim usage in UK clinical practice.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in the UKITP Registry who received romiplostim between October 2009 and January 2015, including data up to 6 months before romiplostim initiation through follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 1440 patients in the UKITP Registry, 118 adults with primary ITP were eligible. Before romiplostim, 22% had splenectomy, 12% received platelet transfusion, 97% received ≥ 1 different ITP medication and 77% received ≥ 3. Most patients (73%) initiated romiplostim ≥ 1 year after ITP diagnosis (chronic phase). The mean duration of romiplostim treatment was 5.7 (SE 0.9) months, and the median was 1.4 months (IQR: 0.2, 6.5). Mean platelet count before romiplostim was 38 × 10⁹ /L, rising to 103 × 10⁹ /L within 1 month, and remaining 50-150 × 10⁹ /L through up to 3 years of follow-up. After romiplostim, 4% of patients had splenectomy, 6% received platelet transfusion, and 57% received just one ITP medication other than romiplostim.

CONCLUSION

The study provides valuable insights into the real-world use of romiplostim in primary ITP in routine practice and highlighted the timing of romiplostim initiation at different ITP disease phases.

Increased Frequency of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Coeliac Disease and Vice Versa: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction

Coeliac disease (CD) and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are immune conditions, often associated with other immune disorders. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed towards the association between ITP and CD.

Aim

To investigate the frequency of ITP in CD patients and vice versa and to assess the risk of their association.

Patients and Methods

This was a prospective observational study. All consecutive patients with CD or ITP attending our department were enrolled between January 2016 and December 2017. All patients with CD were screened for ITP and patients with ITP for CD. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated based on the prevalence in the general population.

Results

Two hundred sixty-one CD patients (212 female, mean age 47 ± 16.1 years) and 32 ITP patients (17 female, mean age 57.8 ± 17.4 years) were enrolled. In the CD cohort, two patients (2/261; 0.8%) reported a previous diagnosis of ITP, compared to the general population; OR was 15.3 (95% CI, 3.82–61.73; p < 0.0001). Similarly, in the ITP cohort, two patients (2/32; 6.3%) had a previous diagnosis of CD (OR: 9.89, 95% CI, 2.27–43.16; p = 0.0002).

Discussion

A greater frequency of ITP in coeliac patients and vice versa was observed in our study, suggesting an increased risk for patients of developing both disorders.

The association between idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and cardiovascular disease: a retrospective cohort study

Essentials We estimated the cardiovascular risk of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The risk of cardiovascular disease was 38% higher in ITP patients compared with controls. Among the ITP patients, splenectomy was associated with higher cardiovascular disease. Clinicians should consider cardiovascular risk when managing ITP patients.

SUMMARY

Background Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is classically characterized by a transient or persistent decrease of platelet count. Mortality is higher in the ITP population than the general population, with a possible association with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objectives The objective was to assess the strength of the association between ITP and CVD, with a secondary aim to assess the impact of splenectomy on CVD. Methods A population-based retrospective, open cohort study using clinical codes was performed using data from 6591 patients with ITP and 24 275 randomly matched controls (up to 1:4 ratio matched by age, sex, body mass index and smoking status). The main outcome was the risk of CVD, which included ischemic heart disease, stroke, trans-ischemic attack and heart failure. Adjusted incidence rate ratios were calculated using Poisson regression. Results During a median 6-year observation period there was a CVD diagnosis recorded in 392 (5.9%) ITP patients and 1114 (4.5%) control patients. There was an increased risk of developing CVD in the ITP cohort (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.55), which remained robust even after a sensitivity analysis only including incident cases of ITP. Findings suggested that patients who had undergone splenectomy were at even further increased risk of developing CVD when compared with the ITP population who had not undergone splenectomy (adjusted IRR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.22-2.34). Conclusion There is an increased risk of developing CVD in patients with ITP and even further increased risk for those patients with ITP who underwent splenectomy.

Epidemiology of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in a French nationwide HIV cohort

BACKGROUND

HIV infection and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (IADs) are both related to immune dysfunction. Epidemiological data on IAD in patients living with HIV (PLHIV) are scarce. The aim of this study was thus to estimate the prevalence of 26 IAD among PLHIV followed in a large French multicenter cohort in the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era (from January 2000 to July 2013), and to describe their occurrence according to cART onset, the immuno-virological status of patients and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and/or hepatitis B virus coinfection.

METHOD AND RESULTS

During the study period, 33 403 PLHIV were included in the Dat'AIDS cohort; 1381 patients with an IAD were identified. The most prevalent IADs were psoriasis, sarcoidosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondyloarthritis, Grave's disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia and chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In contrast, the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis were low. Most patients (59%) developed IAD after HIV infection with a mean delay of 10.6 ± 6.4 years. Compared with the entire cohort, HCV coinfection was significantly more frequent in patients with psoriasis, Grave's disease and immune thrombocytopenia, and chronic hepatitis B in patients was more frequent in those with immune thrombocytopenia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Among patients developing IAD after the diagnosis of HIV infection, 572 (70%) were on antiretroviral therapy and 419 of them (73%) had undetectable HIV viral load.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that some IAD are not rare among PLHIV and occur mostly in patients with immuno-virological control under cART. The higher frequency of HCV or hepatitis B virus coinfection for some IAD is also confirmed.

Immunomodulatory treatments for persistent and chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies

BACKGROUND

Corticosteroid sparing is required in 15% to 40% of adults with persistent or chronic primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Herein, the efficacy of immunomodulatory drugs (dapsone, interferon alpha, danazol, and hydroxychloroquine as second-third-line therapies in ITP is investigated.

METHODS

MEDLINE was searched for studies that included patients with persistent or chronic primary ITP and published before the end of December 2014. Two investigators independently extracted data regarding study design, patient characteristics, dosage schedule, time to response, and occurrence of adverse events. The pooled overall response rate (ORR; platelet count >30 × 10 L) and the complete response rate (CRR; platelet count >100 × 10 L) were evaluated to determine drug efficacy by calculating weighted mean proportion using a fixed or random-effects model according to heterogeneity (I > 50%). The study was performed following the MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 28 studies (415 patients) were included (dapsone: k = 7 studies, n = 80; danazol: k = 12, n = 224; interferon alpha: k = 8, n = 83; hydroxychloroquine: k = 1, n = 28). The mean patient age was 50 years (female sex 70%, splenectomy 47%). The ORR and CRR were 55% (95% CI: 44%-66%, I = 0%) and 21% (95% CI: 13%-31%, I = 0%), respectively, for dapsone; 42% (95% CI: 22%-65%, I = 63%) and 18% (95% CI: 10%-29%, I = 9%), respectively, for interferon alpha; and 58% (95% CI: 42%-72%, I = 67%) and 29% (95% CI: 19%-42%, I = 63%), respectively, for danazol. The ORR was 50% (95% CI: 32%-67%) for hydroxychloroquine (data not available for CRR). Meta-regression analysis found a correlation between the ORR for interferon alpha and the splenectomized status of the patient (P = .02) and between the CRR for danazol and disease duration (P < .001). In total, 73%, 51%, 30%, and 0% of patients who received danazol, dapsone, interferon alpha, and hydroxychloroquine experienced side effects, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The ORR was equivalent for hydroxychloroquine, danazol, and dapsone in ITP. Regarding their low CRR, patients at high risk of infection or at low risk of bleeding should benefit from these treatments. Thanks to their best efficacy and safety profiles, dapsone and hydroxychloroquine in patients with antinuclear antibodies should be preferred over danazol and interferon alpha.

Immune thrombocytopenia in adults: a prospective cohort study of clinical features and predictors of outcome

This prospective observational cohort study aimed to explore the clinical features of incident immune thrombocytopenia in adults and predictors of outcome, while determining if a family history of autoimmune disorder is a risk factor for immune thrombocytopenia. All adults, 18 years of age or older, recently diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia were consecutively recruited across 21 hospital centers in France. Data were collected at diagnosis and after 12 months. Predictors of chronicity at 12 months were explored using logistic regression models. The association between family history of autoimmune disorder and the risk of developing immune thrombocytopenia was explored using a conditional logistic regression model after matching each case to 10 controls. One hundred and forty-three patients were included: 63% female, mean age 48 years old (Standard Deviation=19), and 84% presented with bleeding symptoms. Median platelet count was 10×10(9)/L. Initial treatment was required in 82% of patients. After 12 months, only 37% of patients not subject to disease-modifying interventions achieved cure. The sole possible predictor of chronicity at 12 months was a higher platelet count at baseline [Odds Ratio 1.03; 95%CI: 1.00, 1.06]. No association was found between outcome and any of the following features: age, sex, presence of either bleeding symptoms or antinuclear antibodies at diagnosis. Likewise, family history of autoimmune disorder was not associated with incident immune thrombocytopenia. Immune thrombocytopenia in adults has been shown to progress to a chronic form in the majority of patients. A lower platelet count could be indicative of a more favorable outcome.

Cost-Effectiveness of Eltrombopag versus Romiplostim for the Treatment of Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia in England and Wales

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of eltrombopag compared with romiplostim to be used in the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia in patients in England and Wales who are splenectomized or ineligible for splenectomy and are refractory to other treatments.

METHODS

A Markov cohort model in which patients were administered a sequence of treatments was used to predict long-term outcomes associated with each treatment. The model was informed by data from the eltrombopag clinical trial program and the available literature. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the UK National Health Service, and a lifetime time horizon was used. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Eltrombopag dominated romiplostim (i.e., eltrombopag was as effective as but less costly than romiplostim) in both splenectomized and nonsplenectomized patients, assuming a class effect for the two treatments. Eltrombopag also dominated romiplostim in most deterministic sensitivity analyses with the exception of when indirect efficacy estimates were incorporated into the model. In this analysis, eltrombopag no longer dominated romiplostim but remained cost-effective versus romiplostim at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that there was a 99% and 92% chance of eltrombopag being cost-effective at a cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year in splenectomized and nonsplenectomized patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study demonstrate that eltrombopag is cost-effective when compared with romiplostim to be used in the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia, representing good value for the UK National Health Service.

Contributions of T lymphocyte abnormalities to therapeutic outcomes in newly diagnosed patients with immune thrombocytopenia

T cell abnormalities have been reported to play an important role in pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) besides specific autoantibodies towards platelet. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical importance of T lymphocyte subsets in adult patients with newly diagnosed ITP before and after first-line treatment. Elderly ITP patients were also studied and we tried to analyze the relationships between these items and therapeutic outcomes. The patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus corticosteroids and therapeutic responses were evaluated. As a result, compared with the controls, absolute lymphocyte counts in ITP patients decreased significantly before treatment. After treatment, lymphocyte counts restored to control level regardless of their treatment outcomes. In addition, we observed increased IgG and CD19+ cell expression and decreased CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio in both whole ITP group and elderly group before treatment. After treatment, the increased IgG and CD19+ cell expression could be reduced in both respond and non-respond group regardless of patient age, while CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio could not be corrected in non-respond ITP patients. In non-respond ITP patients, increased CD8+ cell expression was noticed and could not be corrected by first-line treatment. Furthermore, even lower NK cell expression was found in non-respond elderly patients after treatment when compared with that in controls. Our findings suggest that ITP patients usually had less numbers of peripheral lymphocytes and patients with higher levels of CD8+ cells or lower levels of CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio were less likely to respond to first-line treatment. Lower levels of NK cells made therapies in elderly ITP patients even more difficult.

Liver disease as a cause of thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND

Liver disease is frequently missed as the cause for a patient's thrombocytopenia.

AIM

To evaluate the role of liver disease in causing thrombocytopenia within a tertiary hospital.

DESIGN

A hospital-based retrospective study.

METHODS

Analysis of medical records of outpatients and inpatients with a platelet count <100 × 10(9)/l seen at St Mary's Hospital, London in October 2011, was conducted. Cause for thrombocytopenia was determined in each case and patients with liver disease were analysed further looking at factors associated with their low platelet count.

RESULTS

In total, 223 patients were included in this study, 109 of them were outpatients and 114 were inpatients. The mean age was 57.1 years (range 22-106), 64% male and 36% female. Liver disease was the cause for thrombocytopenia in 58% of outpatients. Overall, 92 patients with liver disease were identified; cirrhosis and/or splenomegaly were present in 78%, a further 8% were on interferon therapy. Thrombocytopenia was not explained by the extent of liver disease in 8%, significantly more in hepatitis C than other causes of liver disease (P < 0.05). Factors correlating with low platelet count in patients with liver disease were spleen size (P < 0.05) and serum bilirubin (P < 0.001). There were none, or mild abnormalities only in liver function tests in 19 patients with liver disease-associated thrombocytopenia.

CONCLUSION

Liver disease should be considered in all patients with an unknown cause of thrombocytopenia. Advanced liver disease does not have to be present for thrombocytopenia to develop. All patients with unexplained thrombocytopenia should be evaluated to see if liver disease is present, even when liver function tests are normal.

Prevalence of primary immune thrombocytopenia in Oklahoma

To determine the prevalence of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in Oklahoma regardless of age, clinical characteristics, insurance status, and source of health care. Patients with ITP were identified by the administrative code ICD-9-CM 287.3 in Oklahoma hematologists' offices for a 2-year period, 2003-2004. Prevalence was estimated separately for children (<16 years old) and adults because of their distinct clinical characteristics. Oklahoma census data for 2000 was used as the denominator. Eighty-seven (94%) of 93 eligible Oklahoma hematologists participated; 620 patients with ITP were identified. The average annual prevalences were as follows: 8.1 (95% CI: 6.7-9.5) per 100,000 children, 12.1 (95% CI: 11.1-13.0) per 100,000 adults, and 11.2 (95% CI: 10.4-12.0) per 100,000 population. Among children and adults less than age 70 years, the prevalence was greater among women. Among adults aged 70 years and older, the prevalence was greater among men. The highest prevalence of ITP was among men age 80 years and older. These data document for the first time the prevalence of ITP regardless of age, clinical characteristics, insurance status, and source of health care. The methodology developed for this prevalence analysis may be adaptable for epidemiologic studies of other uncommon disorders which lack specific diagnostic criteria and are treated primarily by medical specialists. Am. J. Hematol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.