1989 Volume 30 Issue 11 Pages 1943-1947
Splenic autotransplantation after splenectomy for idiopatic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the effective treatments for maintaining the patients' immunity in children.
We investigated this surgical method in 10 adult ITP patients. This method was extremely effective for thrombocytopenia. Cellular immunity of the patients was maintained as evidenced by the normal response of peripheral lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin-A (Con-A) after the operation. The mitogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes to PHA and Con-A might be a useful indication for predicting the effect of splenectomy.
