First–line treatment option and response rates
First–line treatment options and response rates of patients withH. pylori –positive and H. pylori –negative ITP were shown
in Table 2. First–line treatment options offered to all ITP patients
were as follows: standard–dose steroid or standard–dose steroid plus
IVIG or high–dose steroid or high–dose steroid plus IVIG. The most
common form of treatment was standard–dose steroid (62.5% vs 68.9%)
in both groups and the groups were not different with regard to
treatment options (p=0.524). Rates of complete response, partial
response, and no response after first–line treatment were comparable
for the two groups (respectively, 75% vs 73.6%, and 18.8% vs 19.5%,
and 6.2% vs 6.9%) and there was no significant difference between the
groups (p=0.283). Median platelet count after first–line treatment was
determined as 214×109/L for H. pylori –positive
patients and as 242×109/L for H.
pylori –negative patients, with no statistically significant difference
(p=0.089).