Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and high-dose immunoglobulin treatment in patient with familiar prostatic adenocarcinoma.

A 52-y old man was admitted to our Department because of abdominal pains and diarrhea with fresh blood, with concomitant purpura over the whole body and edema of the both tarsal joints. The medical history of the patient included skin changes of similar character identified once 10-12 y before. The family history revealed prostate cancer (brother and father) and pulmonary carcinoma (mother and mother's sister). An administration of immunoglobulins in the course of HSP is a non-standard clinical procedure and in case of our patient--clinically effective. In the literature, we have found only few articles about intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for acute, adult-onset HSP and only one article about GI bleeding from colonic ecchymoses in HSP. In these cases HSP wasn't associated with prostate cancer. In the first article, authors had seen dramatic responses to intravenous immunoglobulin, like in the case presented by us. IV-IG acts as an immunomodulator by suppression of antibody production, Fc-receptor blockade and anti-idiotypic reaction. In our case, the last two mechanisms could be perceived as favorable effects of IV-IG.