Cytomegalovirus-associated Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura After Liver Transplantation

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare complication after liver transplantation. Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a frequent complication of organ transplantation and may induce autoimmune diseases, such as ITP. We report a case of ITP after primary CMV infection in a 3-year-old boy...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shu-Hao Wei, Ming-Chih Ho, Yen-Hsuan Ni, Dong-Tsamn Lin, Po-Huang Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2007-01-01
Series:Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929664609602618
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Summary:Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare complication after liver transplantation. Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a frequent complication of organ transplantation and may induce autoimmune diseases, such as ITP. We report a case of ITP after primary CMV infection in a 3-year-old boy recipient of living-related orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The ITP developed 2 years after OLT in this patient who had received tacrolimus as an immunosuppressive agent, with nadir platelet counts of 5000/mm3 in 2 weeks. The patient was treated with two courses of intravenous gamma globulin (1 g/kg/day for 2 days) and subsequent oral prednisolone (1.3 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks). He recovered from thrombocytopenia 4 weeks later. An inadequate immunosuppression, as evident by the low serum tacrolimus level (5.8 ng/mL before the episode of ITP) in this patient, may allow the development of ITP after CMV infection. [J Formos Med Assoc 2007;106(4):327-329]
ISSN:0929-6646