The efficacy and safety of 2 cycles' high-dose dexamethasone treatment adult primary immune thrombocytopenia

• Published in: Chung-hua nei kʿo tsa chih Vol. 50; no. 5; p. 401
• Main Authors: Cui, Zhong-guang, Wei, Yu, Hou, Ming, Zhao, Hong-guo, Wang, Hong-yi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.05.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Dexamethasone - administration & dosage; Dexamethasone - adverse effects; Dexamethasone - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Prednisone - therapeutic use; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic - drug therapy; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0578-1426

To investigate the efficacy and safety of a schedule of 2 cycles' high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) as an initial therapy in adults immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and compare with conventional dose prednisone therapy. A total of 59 newly diagnosed ITP patients were divided into 2 groups randomly. In 30 patients (Dexamethasone group), oral HD-DXM was administered at 40 mg/d for 4 consecutive days, repeated one week later, and then failed to maintain. In the remaining 29 patients (Prednisone group), prednisone was administered orally at 1.0 - 1.5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) for 4 weeks, and then gradually tapered. For short-term efficacy, after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment, the response rate in Dexamethasone group was significantly higher than that in Prednisone group (50.0% vs 24.1%, P < 0.01; 73.3% vs 55.2%, P < 0.05), while 3 weeks later, there was no remarkable difference between the two groups (83.3% vs 68.9%, P > 0.05), though the response rate in Dexamethasone group remained higher. For long-term effect, at the end of