Successful treatment with oseltamivir phosphate in a patient with chronic immune thrombocytopenia positive for anti-GPIb/IX autoantibody

The management of chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remains to be a challenge. Oseltamivir phosphate is a sialidase inhibitor agent used to treat influenza in the conventional sense. At present, we demonstrate for the first time that an adult chronic ITP patient with anti-GP Ib/IX autoantibody, who was resistant to corticosteroids, IVIG, recombinant human thrombopoietin, rituximab, danazol and vindesine, but was successfully treated with oseltamivir phosphate. Through flow cytometric analysis of β-galactose and β-GlcNAc exposure on platelet surfaces, we showed that oseltamivir phosphate could reduce the desialylation level of platelet glycoproteins in ITP patient. The substantial alleviation of thrombocytopenia in this case, though not leading to conclusions, lays a foundation for a novel approach for the treatment of ITP.