Oral vaccination with autologous platelets in chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a common disease of autoimmune mechanism in which nearly 40% of patients need a third-line treatment afte r steroids and splenectomy failure. Due to the variable results of the mult iple therapeutic modalities in refractory patients it is necessary to devel op a more effective treatment. Following previous assays of immunotolerance with the administration of 'oral vaccines'. we propose a therapeutic proto col in chronic ITP patients with autologous cryopreserved or liophilized pl atelets administered in enteric capsules. The procedure is theoretically fe asible and technically easy and does not need the isolation of the specific antigen target of the autoantibodies in each particular case. (C) 2001 Har court Publishers Ltd.