[Refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura which responded to protein A column].

Currently, there is no satisfactory therapy available for patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who are unresponsive to conventional therapeutic modalities. In this report, we describe a patient with chronic refractory ITP treated with immobilized protein A in an extracorporeal system. The patient was a 74 years old male diagnosed as ITP in 1980. Despite steroid therapy, the disease progressed and the patient exhibited ecchymosis and gum bleeding which was unresponsive to intravenous gammaglobulin therapy. Severe gastrointestinal bleeding was evident and administration of danazol was discontinued due to liver dysfunction. The patient was treated with extracorporeal protein A immunoabsorption. The patient's whole blood (200-300 ml per treatment) was separated into plasma and cellular components and the plasma was passed through an immunoabsorption column containing 200 mg of covalently bound protein A. The treated plasma and cellular components were returned to the patient. After 4 immunoabsorption treatments, the platelet counts elevated and there was evidence of improvement in gastrointestinal bleeding. This report indicates that protein A immunoabsorption therapy should be considered in patients with chronic refractory ITP.