The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Chronic Childhood Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder manifested as isolated low platelet count which results in a tendency for bleeding. Around 10% of childhood ITP does not reach resolution within 1 year thus becoming chronic ITP. Therapeutic modalities at present are aimed to achieve symptomatic relief, do not change the natural course of the disorder and are associated with potential side effects and increase cost. Thus, identifying a new therapy that would decrease the bleeding symptoms, without causing significant adverse effects, could be very beneficial. Preliminary reports demonstrate a beneficial role for Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of ITP.

Working hypothesis and aims: The use of TCM will improve the status of children with chronic ITP and thus will reduce the need to use conventional medications. The investigators aim to study whether in children with chronic ITP, supplementation with TCM, improves the bleeding symptoms and ITP-related quality of life (QOL) compared to the period prior to the intervention? Methods: The study includes three periods: 1st observation period (1 month), TMC period (3 months) and 2nd observation period (2 months). During all study periods the following data will be collected: bleeding symptoms, bleeding score, platelet count, need for conventional therapy, side effects of therapy and ITP-related QOL.