A case report of a 9-year old boy with polyarteritis nodosa in which a combination therapy of corticosteroids and a photosensitive dye platonin was effective.
Polyarteritis nodosa (PN), characterized by vasculitis of medium and small sized arteries, is uncommon in children. This disease is thought to be concerned with some abnormal immune responses. Platonin (4,4'-dimethyl-3,3'-di-n-heptyl-8-[2-(4-methyl-3-n-heptylthiazole) ]-2,2'- dicarbocyanine diiodine) is one of the photosensitive dyes of trithiazole pentamethine cyanine. It has been reported that platonin stimulated suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, but suppressed B cells. In clinical observations, platonin is shown to be efficacious for rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, a Japanese boy (9-year-old) with PN was given platonin in combination with prednisolone. Prednisolone was gradually tapered under a cover of platonin. As a result, the relapse has not been exhibited for a long time (72 months). There were no adverse side effects during long term administration of medication.
Department of Pediatrics, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
N
N
Kondo
F
F
Motoyoshi
T
T
Ozawa
T
T
Orii
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D004396:Coloring Agents; D013844:Thiazoles; C032149:platonin; D011239:Prednisolone