Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in pediatric patients is an autoimmune disorder. The disease is characterized by chronic thrombocytopenia due to immune-mediated platelet loss. CYP8B1 is a critical enzyme in bile acid metabolism, and some studies have shown a relationship between lipid metabolism and hematopoiesis. This study aimed to determine the expression levels of the CYP8B1 gene in pediatric patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and to detect its association with various basic hematological parameters, including PLT, RBCs, Hb, HCT, and WBCs. One hundred samples (fifty patients with immune thrombocytopenia and fifty healthy individuals) were analyzed. Gene expression of the CYP8B1 gene was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and standardized against GAPDH. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis was performed to determine its detection efficiency. The gene expression of CYP8B1 was significantly higher in ITP patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). In addition, the levels of PLT, RBCs, HB, and HCT were significantly lower in ITP patients (P < 0.05), while the white blood cell count was slightly elevated but not statistically significant. ROC analysis showed that the expression of CYP8B1 showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in separating ITP patients from controls (AUC = 1.000, P = 0.001), highlighting its potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis of ITP. The statistics reveal that CYP8B1 has a considerable effect on the development of ITP and could serve as a possible diagnostic marker.  Further investigations are needed to establish its mechanistic involvement and therapeutic significance in pediatric ITP.