Successful treatment of a patient with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura in systemic lupus erythematosus with rituximab

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although corticosteroids are usually selected for initial therapy, some patients are corticosteroid-resistant and, therefore, require other immunosuppressants or splenectomy. However, the best tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kazuya Abe, Yuichi Ishikawa, Junichi Ishikawa, Michio Fujiwara, Yasuhiko Kita
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-10-01
Series:Immunological Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25785826.2019.1696644
Description
Summary:Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although corticosteroids are usually selected for initial therapy, some patients are corticosteroid-resistant and, therefore, require other immunosuppressants or splenectomy. However, the best treatment approach in such patients remains unknown, and there is little evidence regarding which immunosuppressive agent can provide best results. We report the case of a patient with corticosteroid-resistant SLE-associated ITP (SLE-ITP) who was successfully treated with rituximab (RTX). RTX might be a therapeutic option for corticosteroid-resistant SLE-ITP.
ISSN:2578-5826