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Published on: January 31, 2018
Lower dose rituximab is active in adults patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Francesco Zaja1, Marta Lisa Battista, Maria Teresa Pirrotta
1Clinica Ematologica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, piazza S. Maria della Misericordia, 33100 Udine, Italy. zaja.francesco@aoud.sanita.fvg.it
Rituximab 375 mg/m(2) 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 > 50 x 10(9)/L) and complete responses (platelet count > 100 x 10(9)/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.
Rituximab 375 mg/m(2) 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 > 50 x 10(9)/L) and complete responses (platelet count > 100 x 10(9)/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.
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