The Combination of ATRA and High-dose Dexamethasone as First-line Treatment in Adult Immune Thrombocytopenia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Dose Dexamethasone ◽  
First Line Treatment

Eltrombopag and High-Dose Dexamethasone As First Line Treatment For ITP

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 3544-3544
Author(s):  
David Gomez-Almaguer ◽  
Miguel Angel Herrera-Rojas ◽  
Andres Gomez-de Leon ◽  
Olga Graciela Cantú-Rodríguez ◽  
Cesar H Gutiérrez-Aguirre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
Front Line ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Dose Dexamethasone ◽  
Line Therapy ◽  
First Line Treatment

Abstract Introduction Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder that involves antibody and cell mediated destruction of platelets as well as suppression of their production. Prednisone is the initial standard therapy in adults1. High-dose dexamethasone as front-line therapy given as pulses of 40 mg per day for 4 consecutive days, was effective in 85% of patients, nevertheless, 50% relapsed within six months2. The prices of ITP drugs for 1 month of treatment in an adult range from prednisone; $16, eltrombopag; $5,934, intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (80 g); $9,648, to rituximab (2 g); $15,5963. Only prednisone/dexamethasone and eltrombopag are available in oral presentation, for this reason, ambulatory treatment is an alternative for these patients. The trombopoietin receptor agonists are effective for the treatment of patients with chronic ITP, although response is dependent on continued administration. Eltrombopag is a small molecule agonist of the c-mpl (TpoR) receptor, which is the physiological target of thrombopoietin. This drug effectively raises the platelet count in adult patients (aged 18 years and over) as second/third line therapy, that is for patients refractory to corticosteroids and IVIG who have had their spleen removed or when splenectomy is not an option4. Our group, as well as others, has previously sought to improve response rates in these patients, particularly with the use of rituximab5, 6. To our knowledge neither eltrombopag nor romiplostim have been used as front line therapy in ITP, therefore the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of eltrombopag and dexamethasone in this setting. Patients and Methods This was a prospective, phase 2 study, using the combination of eltrombopag (50 mg PO once a day for 4 weeks) and high-dose dexamethasone (40 mg PO days 1,2,3,4) in untreated adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia or in patients with less than 7 days of treatment with corticosteroids. Complete response (CR) was defined as an increase in platelet count >100×109/L. Partial response (PR) was defined as an increase in the platelet count greater to 30 ×109/L according to standard criteria. Duration of response was considered from the day of initial administration to the first time of relapse (platelet count <30×109/L). Results Twelve consecutive patients were enrolled from June 2012 to June 2013, 6 women and 6 men. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range, 20 - 80 years). The median platelet count at diagnosis was 7 x 109/L (range, 2 - 29 x 109/L). Patients were followed for a median of 2.5 months (range 1.1 - 13). After steroid treatment at day +5, ten patients had responded (83.3%), five had achieved CR (41.7%), and five PR. After completing treatment with eltrombopag at day +34, all patients responded (100%), nine patients achieved CR (75%) and three PR (25%). Two patients relapsed in a median time of 39.5 days (range, 30.1 - 49), both regaining CR after treatment with another high-dose dexamethasone course and low-dose rituximab (4 doses of 100 mg every week). At 3 months follow-up 66.7% remained in CR and 33.3% in PR (n=6). At 6 months follow-up two patients remained in CR and two in PR (n=4). Time to best response achieved was 34 days from diagnosis (range, 19 – 64.1). At the end of follow-up 9 patients (75%) remained in CR and 3 patients in PR (25%). Total treatment cost per patient was $1,640 approximately. Conclusion Currently the initial treatment of ITP patients is based on prednisone or high dose dexamethasone with or without IVIG. This approach is associated with high cost and high relapse rate. The results from our pilot study suggest that high dose dexamethasone and eltrombopag are very effective as first line treatment for acute ITP in adults. This treatment is ambulatory, affordable and well tolerated; however, we still don't know if this approach will have a favorable impact on the relapse rate of this disease. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Eltrombopag as first line treatment for ITP.

First-LINE Treatment With High-Dose Dexamethasone Terapy For Adult Primary Inmune Thrombocytopenia

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 1081-1081
Author(s):  
Dana Diaz-Canales ◽  
Maria Rosario Prieto-Bonilla ◽  
Maria Eva Mingot-Castellano ◽  
Ana Isabel Heiniger Mazo
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Median Time ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Dose Dexamethasone ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
First Line Treatment

Abstract Introduction Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder with a very variable outcome. Bleeding manifestations and platelets count are considered the main criteria to start treatment in these patients. The initial recommended therapy are corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IgsIV). The aim of our study is the description of efficacy and safety of high-dose dexamethasone (Dx) used as frontline therapy in newly diagnosed ITP patients. Methods A series of patients diagnosed in our centre from March 2009 to August 2012 has been studied. They have received first-line treatment with Dx (40 mg/d four consecutive days every 2 or 4 weeks) for 1 to 6 courses. Sex, age, cardiovascular risk factors, reasons to treat, response, courses of treatment, complications and relapse rate were recorded and analyzed. Results Our series of twenty-nine patients, 18 women (62%) and 11 men (38%), had a median age of 54 years (range 16-92 years). Twenty-five patients (86%) were treated after low platelet counts (30x 10e9 / L) with or without clinical bleeding, whereas the other four patients were treated as a surgery preparation. One patient received a reduced dose of Dx (20 mg/d x 4 days) because of comorbidities and high risk of infection. In thirteen patients, IgsIV were added to Dx in the first course (1g/kg/d x 2 days), because of high bleeding risk or more severe bleeding at diagnosis. Platelets count at baseline was 15x109/ L (range 1-29 x109/ L). Ninety-three percent of patients responded after the first course of Dx (69% complete response CR, 24% partial response PR), and 45% of the patients did not require additional Dx treatment. The median time to reach a response was 5 days since the first day of treatment (range 2-60). The sixteen patients who need more than one course received a median of 4 (range 2-10), all of them without IgsIV. After a median follow-up of 14 months (range 2-45), 69% of these patients maintained the response without further treatment. Therefore, the overall response of the series reaches 83%. After 6 courses of treatment, 5 subjects did not achieved response and were classify as corticosteroid dependent. Of these, one patient was splenectomized and at present he remains at CR after 30 months of follow up. Another patient is waiting for splenectomy, and other three received thrombopoietin analogs, remaining all them in CR under treatment. Thirteen patients received a combination of Igs and Dx in the first course due to high risk of bleeding (platelets less than 20 x 10e9/L and hemorrhagic manifestations). Eleven of them (81%) achieved response (4 PR, 7CR) at a median time of 4 days (range 2–60). After the first course of treatment, 61% (8 of 13) of patients receiving both IgsIV and Dx responded, vs 35% (5 of 16) of those treated only with Dx. This difference was not statistically significant, probably because of the small number of patients in our series. All patients treated with IgsIV and Dx in the first course got the best response after 4 cycles of dexamethasone, compared to 75% of subjects treated with Dx for 4 to 6 courses. Dx was usually well tolerated, since only 13% of the patients experienced side effects: one case of hypertension, another patient developed hyperglycemia associated to corticosteroids and other two presented mild transient steroid psychosis episodes. Infectious events were not observed. Conclusions Treatment with high-dose dexamethasone as first-line treatment for ITP is a good alternative to prednisone because it shows a high efficacy and a good safety profile. In our experience, the association of IgsIV and Dx in the first course may improve the response rate and decrease the total dose of steroids needed to achieve a similar response. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Tacrolimus Plus High-Dose Dexamethasone Versus High-Dose Dexamethasone Alone As First-Line Treatment for Adult Immune Thrombocytopenia: The Phase 2, Open Label, Randomized Trial (TARGET 020)

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 13-13
Author(s):  
Zhuo-Yu An ◽  
Ye-Jun Wu ◽  
Yun He ◽  
Xiao-Lu Zhu ◽  
Hong-Xia Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Combination Group ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
Monotherapy Group ◽  
First Line ◽  
Open Label ◽  
High Dose Dexamethasone ◽  
First Line Treatment

Abstract Introduction Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired, organ-specific, autoimmune disease and one of the most common bleeding disorders seriously endangering human health. Glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulin are first-line treatments recommended by guidelines for patients with ITP. However, approximately 50%-85% of patients relapse during the first year of treatment. In addition, long-term use of glucocorticoids increases the risk for dose- and time-dependent glucocorticoid-related complications and serious side effects. Therefore, in-depth studies investigating new solutions for the first-line treatment of ITP are urgently needed. Tacrolimus is a calcineurin inhibitor, which forms a complex by binding to FK506-binding protein. It is currently widely used in the prevention of graft-versus-host disease for organ transplantation as well as for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In addition to recent retrospective studies and case reports demonstrating its effectiveness in ITP, tacrolimus has been shown to improve anti-platelet antibody-mediated thrombocytopenia in mice, suggesting it may be a potential treatment for ITP. The aim of this study was to compare two first-line treatment options for ITP-a standard glucocorticoid-only regimen versus tacrolimus in combination with a standard glucocorticoid regimen-to determine which could help patients achieve stable platelet counts faster and experience a longer duration of remission. Methods This open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial, enrolled adult ITP patients from seven different tertiary medical centers in China. Elderly patients had confirmed, newly diagnosed, treatment-naive ITP, platelet counts &lt;30×10 9/L, or &lt; 50×10 9/L and significant bleeding symptoms (World Health Organization bleeding scale ≥ 2). Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 with an interactive web-based response system to receive either oral tacrolimus (initial 0.03 mg/kg/day and maintain blood concentration at 3-5 ng/mL for 12 weeks) plus high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) or HD-DXM monotherapy for 12 weeks. DXM (40 mg) was administered orally daily for 4 consecutive days to both study arms. The 4-day course of DXM was repeated on days 11-14 in patients who lacked response by day 10. The primary endpoint was 6-month sustained response (SR), defined as platelet count maintained &gt;50×10 9/L without any additional ITP-modifying therapy at the 6-month follow-up. Key secondary endpoints included initial response by day 14 (OR, platelet count ≥30×10 9/L and at least 2-fold increase in baseline platelet count and absence of bleeding; and CR, platelet count ≥ 100×10 9/L), duration of response, bleeding scores, and adverse events (AEs). This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04747080). Results Total 140 patients newly diagnosed with ITP were randomly assigned to either the tacrolimus plus HD-DXM (n=72) or HD-DXM monotherapy (n=68) groups. At the 6-month follow-up, the proportion of patients exhibiting SR was significantly higher in the tacrolimus plus HD-DXM group than in the HD-DXM monotherapy group (65.3% vs 42.6%, p= 0.007). Of the 140 patients with ITP (males accounted for 48.6%), the mean age was 32.8 years, the mean platelet count was 16.7×10 9/L. The combination group exhibited a higher 14-day early remission rate than the monotherapy group (76.4% vs 55.9%, P=0.001). Significantly fewer treatment failures occurred in patients randomly assigned to the combination group(19.4% vs 38.2%, P=0.0014). During the follow-up period, fewer patients in the combination group experienced relapse than in the monotherapy group; the median time to relapse was 77 days (Tacrolimus+HD-DXM) vs 36 days (HD-DXM). The combination group exhibited a lower proportion of bleeding events and a lower bleeding score. The incidence of serious AEs, rescue therapy, and treatment side effects were similar between the two groups, and treatment was well tolerated by all patients, with no grade 4 AEs or treatment-related deaths reported. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related AEs between the two groups. Conclusions Low-dose tacrolimus plus HD-DXM was an effective and safe treatment for ITP as first-line therapy and elicited a sustained prolonged response in adults. This therapy may be a new treatment option for adult patients with ITP. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. OffLabel Disclosure: It includes information or discussion of off-label drug use of tacrilimus.

Refractory eosinophilic fasciitis successfully treated with infliximab: A case report

2021 ◽  
pp. 239719832110043
Author(s):  
Paulina Śmigielska ◽  
Justyna Czarny ◽  
Jacek Kowalski ◽  
Aleksandra Wilkowska ◽  
Roman J. Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Treatment Failure ◽  
Immunosuppressive Drugs ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Eosinophilic Fasciitis ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
First Line ◽  
First Line Treatment

Eosinophilic fasciitis is a rare connective tissue disease of unknown etiology. Therapeutic options include high-dose corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs. We present a typical eosinophilic fasciitis case, which did not respond to first-line treatment, but improved remarkably after infliximab administration. This report demonstrates that in case of initial treatment failure, infliximab might be a relatively safe and effective way of eosinophilic fasciitis management.

Current Treatment Approaches to Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 690-699
Author(s):  
Susanne Ghandili ◽  
Katja C. Weisel ◽  
Carsten Bokemeyer ◽  
Lisa Beatrice Leypoldt
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Plasma Cell ◽  
Cell Clone ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Continuous Treatment ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
First Line ◽  
First Line Treatment

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Multiple myeloma is a so far incurable malignant plasma cell disorder. During the past 2 decades, treatment paradigms substantially changed when novel drugs were introduced initially in treatment of relapsed disease and subsequently also in first-line treatment. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> Up to now, first-line treatment differs between patients initially classified as transplant eligible and those who are considered as nontransplant eligible. Transplant-eligible patients receive a primary proteasome inhibitor (PI)-based induction which is being combined with an immunomodulating agent and a CD38-directed monoclonal antibody followed by high-dose melphalan therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation with subsequent maintenance treatment with lenalidomide. Patients who are considered as nontransplant eligible receive upfront treatment preferentially with a continuous combination treatment either with a CD38-directed monoclonal antibody in combination with the immunomodulating agent lenalidomide or a lenalidomide-PI combination followed by lenalidomide maintenance. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> Primary goal of the initiated treatment is to induce a rapid and deep remission which ideally leads to an eradication of the residual plasma cell clone in sense of a minimal residual disease negativity. Achievement of long-term remission with limited toxicity despite continuous treatment strategies and maintenance or improvement of life-quality is key. Despite successful treatment options, specific difficult-to-treat subgroups, especially patients with high-risk myeloma remain with inferior prognosis and a clear unmet need for novel therapeutic strategies. Future concepts will evaluate cellular treatments and other innovative immunotherapies in first-line treatment in curative intention.

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