Slovenský hematolologický portál - Lower dose rituximab is active in adults patients with idiopathic thrombocytopen

Lower dose rituximab is active in adults patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Francesco Zaja,1 Marta Lisa Battista,1 Maria Teresa Pirrotta,2 Salvatore Palmieri,3 Michela Montagna,4 Nicola Vianelli,5 Luciana Marin,1 Margherita Cavallin,1 Monica Bocchia,2 Marzia Defina,2 Micaela Ippoliti,2 Felicetto Ferrara,3 Francesca Patriarca,1 Maria Antonietta Avanzini,4 Mario Regazzi,4 Michele Baccarani,5 Miriam Isola,6 Franca Soldano,6 and Renato Fanin1

1Clinica Ematologica, DIRM, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Udine; 2Clinica Ematologica, Policlinico Le Scotte, Siena; 3Divisione di Ematologia, AORN "A. Cardarelli", Napoli; 4Dipartimento di Farmacologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia; 5Istituto di Ematologia ed Oncologia Medica L. ed A. Seragnoli, Bologna and 6Cattedra di Statistica, DIRM, Università di Udine, Italy

Haematologica 2008; 93:930-933

ABSTRACT
Rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly for four weeks has significant activity in patients with immune thrombocytopenia. We evaluated the activity of lower dose rituximab (100 mg iv weekly for 4 weeks) in 28 adults with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Overall (platelet count > 503109/L) and complete responses (platelet count > 1003109/L) were achieved in 21/28 (75%) and 12/28 (43%) patients respectively. The median time to response and time to complete response were 31 and 44 days respectively. After a median follow-up of 11 months (range 3-18), 7/21 (33%) patients relapsed and 3 needed further treatments. In patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, lower dose rituximab seems to show similar activity to standard dose.

Key words: immune thrombocytopenia, B-cell depletion, lower dose rituximab.

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