HELICOBACTER PYLORI AND IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA (ITP); IS THERE ANY ASSOCIATION

Main Article Content

Muhammad Kashif
Ubaid Ullah Sami
Muhammad Kamran Hassan
Muhammad Taimur
Muhammad Adeel
Jawad Mahmood
Sapna Faryal
Farhan Saeed

Keywords

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori), Platelet Count.

Abstract

Background: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a hematological condition characterized by platelet hypersensitivity, which is often accompanied by autoantibodies and results in platelet destruction. While the actual etiology of ITP is unknown, it has been associated to a number of medical disorders, including infectious infections. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has recently appeared as a possible factor to ITP, with research showing that its eradication improves platelet counts.


Objective: To investigate the association between H. pylori infection and ITP.


Study Design: This case-control study.


Duration and Place of the Study: This study conducted at the Department of Gastroenterology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from February 2021 to February 2023.


Material and Methods: The study included 37 patients with immune thrombocytopenia throughout a two-year period and compared with healthy controls in the ration 1:2.  Male and female patients between the ages of 18 and 60 years with ITP were enrolled. Platelet counts of 150,000 cells per mm3 was used to diagnose ITP after other causes of thrombocytopenia had been excluded. Data collection included demographic information, a medical history, and a focus on gastric symptoms.


Results: Among cases, male patients constituted (51.4%) over (48.6%) females. The control group included 74 non-ITP patients, the majority of them were between the ages of 18-45 (79.77%). The gender distribution was almost equivalent to cases, with 48.64% males and 51.35% females. Only 5 (6.75%) of the 74 healthy controls tested positive for H. pylori, compared to 18 (48.6%) of the 37 ITP patients. 59.46% (n=22) of the 37 ITP patients reported having gastric symptoms, whereas the remaining 40.54% (n=15) did not. The odds ratio was 13.0 with 95% CI 4.2-39.8 indicating significant association between ITP and H.pylori.


Conclusion: This study suggests a significant relationship between H. pylori and ITP. The study also stresses the need of healthcare practitioners addressing gastrointestinal diseases and genetic factors in ITP development. Recognizing these linkages may help healthcare practitioners monitor and manage ITP.

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