| Home > Site Map > Conditions > L > Low platelet count |
Causes & Development Primary ITP. The bone marrow produces platelets as fast as usual (at least in the early stages of the disease), but even before they have a chance to mature, they are taken out of circulation. It is likely that individuals who suffer this disease have a genetic propensity to autoimmunity and that a viral disease triggers it. Many autoimmune disorders have this characteristic. Because in this case it is some other factor (disease process or medical treatment) that is causing the clinical result, this type of platelet deficiency is termed secondary ITP and may be resolved by stopping this other factor. British researchers have confirmed that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can cause this bleeding disorder in children. For instance, one case of ITP occurs for about every 3000 rubella infections. Treatment & Prevention Conventional treatment is often aimed at inhibiting the immune system with corticosteroids such as prednisone. Chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia develops in a small percentage of patients. In that case, steroid therapy eventually fails (due to the side-effects from prolonged administration). This has also been proposed as an alternative to the initial therapy with prednisone. |
| Anemia, Aplastic Lupus, SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythromatosis) Hepatitis |