These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Mycophenolate mophetil therapy for chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura resistant to steroids, immunosuppressants, and/or splenectomy in adults.
    Author: Colović M, Suvajdzic N, Colović N, Tomin D, Vidović A, Palibrk V.
    Journal: Platelets; 2011; 22(2):153-6. PubMed ID: 21142405.
    Abstract:
    Treatment options are limited in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) which has been unresponsive to corticosteroids and/or splenectomy. Mycophenolate mophetil (MMF) is effective in many autoimmune disorders including severe and refractory ITP through its targeting of T-cell and B-cell lymphocytes. We report on the efficacy of MMF (1.5-2 g/day) in 16 adults with severe steroid-resistant ITP. MMF was administered for at least 12 weeks (median 37 weeks, range 14-64 weeks). Patients comprised of 10 females and six males, with median pre-treatment platelet counts of 8 × 10(9)/L, median age of 55 years, median ITP duration of 58 months and a median of four prior treatments (range 3-8); nine had been previously splenectomized. Eleven patients (69%) responded after 12 weeks of MMF: 6 (55%) achieving complete remission (CR) and five (45%) achieved partial remission (PR). MMF therapeutic responses were better in those patients who had had fewer prior treatments (p<0.05), and were independent of patient age, sex, disease duration, and splenectomy status (p>0.05). Five of the 11 responders (45%; 3CR/2PR) had sustained remissions; however, six responders (55%; 3CR/3PR) relapsed after median of 14 weeks (range 9-20). Three of the six relapsing patients responded to MMF reinstitution achieving stabile PRs; three were left untreated as none had further bleeding and their platelets remained at "safe" levels (median 30 × 10(9)/L). The MMF treatment was well tolerated; one heavily pretreated patient developed a bronchopneumonia and a second had an episode of diarrhea. MMF used as a second-line agent can produce a sustained response in severe ITP which has been unresponsive to steroid and/or splenectomy without major toxicity.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]