The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Chronic Childhood Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2014-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
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.