title: Vincristine sulfate for the treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura refractory to plasma-exchange. The Italian Cooperative Group for TTP.
abstract: Among all the patients treated by the Italian Cooperative Group for TTP, we retrospectively reviewed the results obtained using vincristine (VCR) in 8 TTP patients (4 men and 4 women, average age: 39.25 years, range: 23-48) who did not respond to combined apheretic and pharmacologic treatment. All patients, after failing to respond to treatment, were started on VCR at the dose of 2 mg, i.v., once a week. Despite this treatment, 4 patients (50%) died 1, 7, 12 and 25 days after the first VCR dose, respectively. The other 4 patients who received VCR achieved complete remission 24, 30, 40 and 50 days from the beginning of the treatment. Total doses of VCR ranged from 2 to 6 mg in the decreased group, and from 6 to 14 mg in the cured patients. In our experience, VCR is a promising agent to treat TTP patients resistant to conventional plasma-exchange and pharmacologic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, Civic Hospital, Crema, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bobbio-Pallavicini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Centurioni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gugliotta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vianelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tacconi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Billio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ascari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011697:Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine