WinRho is used for the following:
- Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
- In children with chronic or acute ITP
- In adults with chronic ITP
- In children and adults with ITP secondary to HIV infection
- Protection (prophylaxis) against the development of harmful antibodies in Rh-negative women exposed to Rh-positive blood. This exposure can occur in an Rh-negative woman:
- Upon receipt of an Rh-positive blood transfusion
- During pregnancy or after delivery if the baby is Rh-positive or the Rh status is unknown
What Does WinRho Do?
Treatment of ITP
ITP is a bleeding disorder caused by an abnormally low level of platelets. Platelets are found in the bloodstream and are needed for blood to clot properly. When blood does not clot properly, there is a tendency to bruise and bleed easily. ITP is a disorder of the immune system. Usually, the body will manufacture antibodies which coat disease-causing organisms, aiding their removal by the spleen. This process helps the immune system fight infection in the body. In ITP, the body mistakenly produces antibodies against its own platelets. When these antibodies coat the platelets, it results in their rapid and premature destruction by the spleen. ITP can affect adults or children; it can occur without warning and for no apparent reason, or it can occur as a result of a primary illness or infection. There is no evidence to suggest that ITP is inherited or related to personal habits or diet. It cannot be passed to other people like the common cold.
WinRho® SDF contains a concentration of antibodies which specifically bind to Rh positive red blood cells. When administered to an Rh positive patient, it is thought that WinRho® SDF coats the Rh positive red cells, causing their destruction by the spleen, thereby preventing the destruction of platelets. This results in increased levels of circulating platelets and an alleviation of the symptoms of ITP.
When it should not be used:
- WinRho® SDF must not be used if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to human immunoglobulin or to any other ingredients of WinRho® SDF.
- WinRho® SDF should not be used for Rh prevention if you are Rh-positive or if you are Rh-negative but have been previously Rh immunized.
- WinRho® SDF should not be used to treat ITP if you are Rh-negative, or if you are Rh-positive and have had your spleen surgically removed.
Protection (prophylaxis) against the development of harmful antibodies in Rh-negative women exposed to Rh-positive blood.
Pregnant women often have different blood groups from their babies. This is normal and usually not a problem. However, in some cases, these blood groups differ in an important way, which is the presence or absence of a particular protein on the outside of the red blood cell. If you have this protein, you are “Rh positive”. If you do not have this protein, you are “Rh negative”.
Sometimes during pregnancy and delivery, a small amount of the baby’s blood can cross the placenta and enter the mother’s blood stream. This can also happen in events such as a miscarriage, abortion and amniocentesis. If this transfer of blood occurs from an Rh positive fetus to an Rh negative mother, the mother’s immune system will see the baby’s blood as “foreign” and will produce antibodies which destroy the baby’s blood cells. In the first pregnancy, most of these antibodies will remain in the mother’s circulation and the baby is usually not significantly affected. During subsequent pregnancies, however, a problem may occur if the new baby is Rh positive and if there is another transfer of blood across the placenta. The mother’s immune system has a good memory. It can rapidly produce the same antibodies again, and they can re-cross the placenta in large numbers and start to destroy the new baby’s own blood before birth, causing a number of serious complications.
WinRho® SDF is an injection of antibodies administered with every pregnancy, when the mother is known to be Rh-negative. It works in your bloodstream to destroy any circulating blood cells from your baby before your immune system has a chance to make its own antibodies. Your baby is not affected by this injection.
Injections may also be given in connection with abortion, miscarriage or amniocentesis. As a result of the WinRho® SDF injection, your immune system never makes its own antibodies to your baby’s Rh positive red blood cells, so you and your baby are protected.
