Hypovitaminosis D Influences the Clinical Presentation of Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children with Newly Diagnosed Disease

Evaluation of vitamin D status in adult patients with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia

It has been shown that 25-OH vitamin D not only preserves calcium and bone homeostasis but also has immunomodulatory effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between adult patients with recently diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and vitamin D levels. Retrospective technique was employed in this study. The associations between 25(OH)D value and platelet count, as well as the clinical symptoms of ITP upon diagnosis and 25(OH)D value, were our main findings. A total of 60 patients diagnosed and followed up in our clinic were included in the study. Forty-one patients (68.3%) were female and 19 (31.7%) were male. The median age of the patients was 52.5 (19-88). The median vitamin D level of all patients at diagnosis of ITP was 11.5 (3-86). There was no statistically significant difference between the patients divided into three groups according to their vitamin D levels, in terms of laboratory parameters. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical findings according to vitamin D status in ITP patients. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of relapse-free survival in all three groups (p = 0.71). In conclusion, in our study, no correlation was found between laboratory and clinical findings at diagnosis and vitamin D levels in adult ITP patients. Additional investigations, particularly randomized controlled trials, are required to examine the relationship between 25(OH)D and the incidence and severity of ITP.

Sufficient vitamin D is favorable for children with persistent and chronic immune thrombocytopenia

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia in the absence of other disorders. Vitamin D (VD) has been shown to modulate the immune system and its deficiency is linked to many immunological disorders. Supplementation with VD in ITP has promising results. This work aims at evaluating VD values in children with persistent and chronic ITP and the effect of its deficiency on disease severity and treatment response. A case-control study including 50 persistent and chronic ITP patients and 50 healthy controls was conducted. 25 OH vitamin D level was determined using ELISA technique. VD median value was significantly higher among the control group than that of the patients' group (28 vs 21.5 and p = 0.002). Severe deficiency was detected significantly more among the patients' group than the control group (12 (24%) vs 3 (6%), p = 0.048) respectively. Forty-four percent of complete responders belong to sufficient VD category ((15/34) ~ 44% (p = 0.005)) representing all patients with sufficient VD status (n = 15). Also, a positive correlation between serum level of vitamin D and mean PLT count was observed (r = 0.316, p value = 0.025). Sufficient vitamin D was associated with better treatment response and less disease severity. Vitamin D supplementation may be a new therapeutic option for chronic ITP.

Knowledge and Practice of Pediatricians Regarding Hypovitaminosis D-A Survey across 33 European Countries

Hypovitaminosis D has been recognized as a worldwide pandemic, but there are disagreements regarding its diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice of European pediatricians concerning vitamin D (VD) and hypovitaminosis D and their adherence to relevant guidelines. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an anonymous survey via SurveyMonkey on 304 European pediatricians. Most of the participants were general pediatricians, followed by endocrinologists and neonatologists. ESPGHAN's and the national guidelines were the most frequently used. VD testing was mostly performed in patients with skeletal, chronic kidney, and autoimmune diseases. Participants predominantly answered the questions regarding the definition of hypovitaminosis D and VD supplementation correctly, especially in children younger than 12 months. They showed the least knowledge regarding the cut off-point for the initiation of the therapy and therapeutic doses used to treat confirmed hypovitaminosis D. Participants' conflicting answers could be related to the differences between the guidelines. We consider that experts in this field should create uniform guidelines, and that those guidelines should also be promoted by national or local pediatric associations.

HEMATOLOGICAL INDICES RELATED TO VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN OBESE CHILDREN

Introduction

Vitamin D is involved in differentiation and induction of erythropoiesis in bone marrow cells.

Aim

We compared the serum 25(OH) vitamin D level in obese children versus control and found correlations between vitamin D level and hematological indices in obese children.

Materials and methods

25 overweight and obese patients and 15 normal weight children were enrolled in an observational study .

Results

In obese children, the serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D was significantly (p<0.04) lower (20.60 ng/mL) compared with the value from normal weight ones (25.63 ng/mL) and the body fat percentage BFP was higher. We found a positive correlation (r=0.44, p<0.05) between serum vitamin D and hemoglobin level and a negative one between serum vitamin D and the number of platelets (r= -0.43, p<0.05). Also, the serum iron was at the lower normal limit in the obese children and negatively correlated with the percent of the body fat (r= -0,62, p<0.05).

Conclusion

Obese children have vitamin D deficiency. The hemoglobin level and the number of platelets are correlated with the serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D. Supplements with vitamin D may have pleiotropic effects, including those on bone marrow activity.

Recombinant Thrombopoietin Effectively Shortens the Time to Response and Increases Platelet Counts in Elderly Patients with Severe Immune Thrombocytopenia

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of rhTPO for the management of severe ITP in the elderly as first-line treatment. Methods: A total of 54 elderly patients with severe ITP were studied, including 39 patients treated with a combination regimen of rhTPO plus standard treatment (glucocorticoid; rhTPO group) and 15 patients treated with glucocorticoid treatment alone (control group). The response rate, time to initial response, peak platelet counts, and time to peak platelet counts were compared, and clinical characteristics correlated with the efficacy of rhTPO were analyzed. The efficacy of rhTPO in the elderly is comparable to the non-elderly in terms of the OR, CR, time to initial response, and peak platelet counts. Results: There were no differences in the overall response (OR) and the complete response (CR) in the rhTPO group compared to the control group. The time to initial response in the rhTPO group was shorter than that in the control group (p = 0.032). In patients without intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and platelet transfusion, the peak platelet counts in the rhTPO group were higher than those in the control group (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Standard glucocorticoid treatment plus rhTPO effectively shortens the time to response and increases platelet counts in the elderly with severe ITP.

The Use of Clinical Scores in the Management of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Children

While the majority of children with recently diagnosed ITP have a benign, self-limiting condition, most often with a spontaneously recovery, 40% of children with ITP progress toward persistent ITP and 10-20% goes toward chronicity. Several clinical scores have been developed with the aim to perform a better monitoring outcome or to differentiate transient vs. persistent ITP (e.g., Donato score). Our paper aims to describe and to compare the most important scores used in the management of ITP in children: bleeding severity scores and chronicity prediction scores. These scores include a combination of different already known risk factors: age, gender, presence of a previous infections or vaccination, bleeding grade, type of onset, platelet count at diagnosis. The real utility of these scores has been a matter of debate and no consensus has been reached so far as to their necessity to be implemented as compulsory tool in the care of children with ITP.

Risk Factors and Psychological Analysis of Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children

Objective

To study the risk factors and psychological changes in children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (CITP).

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of 234 children with ITP diagnosed and treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2016 to December 2018. The clinical characteristics and related laboratory factors of all patients were collected, and their impact on the chronicity of ITP was analyzed. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Children’s Version (7–15 years old) is a psychological assessment of children with chronic ITP (CITP).

Results

Univariate analysis found that the course of the initial diagnosis (χ2 =6.879, P<0.05), the age of onset (χ2 =13.846, P<0.05) and the absolute value of the initial diagnosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (χ2 =6.436, P<0.05) had statistical differences in the chronicity of ITP in children; a multivariate analysis of the course of the first diagnosis, the age of onset and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) revealed that ALC is an independent factor in children’s chronic ITP (P<0.05). Compared with normal children, children with CITP had statistical significance in extraversion (t=−3.476, P<0.05); compared with newly diagnosed children, they had statistical significance in extraversion (E) and lying (L) (P<0.05); and there was no statistical difference compared with persistent children (P>0.05).

Conclusion

The age of onset, the absolute value of lymphocytes at the initial diagnosis, and the course of the initial diagnosis are important for predicting the chronicity of ITP in children. ALC is an independent predictor; children with chronic ITP have psychological problems.