Comparison of the Therapeutic Effect of Anti-D IG and IVIG in Children with Acute Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura Attending a Children’s Medical Center: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: This study aimed at comparing the therapeutic effect of anti-D immunoglobulin (anti-D IG) and Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) in children with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Methods: This Randomized double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 98 children attending a Children’s medical center during year 2008. The selected participants were allocated to IVIG and anti-D IG groups using the balanced-block randomization method. The platelet count, hemoglobin level, and side effects of the medications were evaluated on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after drug injection. Results: After drug injection, the platelet count increased in both groups (P 0.05). The hemoglobin level also decreased after injection in both groups (P 0.05). Regarding the ability of the drugs to increase the platelet count, 56% of the patients in the anti-D IG group and 52% of the children in the IVIG groups had platelet counts of more than 20 000 during the 24 hours after drug administration with no difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.836). The incidence of drug adverse effects, including fever and chills (4.1% in the anti-D group versus 10.4% in the IVIG group), severe hemolysis (4.5% in the anti D group versus 0% in the IVIG group) and headache (6.25% in the anti-D group versus 4.1% in the IVIG group), had no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Intravenous Immunoglobulin and anti-D have similar effectiveness in the treatment of children with acute ITP. Considering the fewer side effects of anti-D, it may be a suitable replacement for IVIG in ITP patients.