title: Prolonged remission induced by cyclosporine in a patient with familial thrombocytopenia and enteropathy.
abstract: A 21-year-old patient, since the age of 16, presented a familial type of chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia that responded only partially to various types of immunosuppressive treatment. His prolonged survival, compared to his decreased siblings, was complicated by the appearance of a severe enteropathy. High doses of corticosteroids induced a type 1 diabetes as a major side effect. The introduction of cyclosporine resulted in both a continuous complete clinical remission and a partial hematological remission and allowed the discontinuation of all other medication for 18 months. In uncommon complex autoimmune disease, cyclosporine may represent a safe and effective alternate therapy when other immunosuppressive agents have failed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuchler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roulet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000188:drug therapy; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine