title: Successful therapy of myelodysplastic syndrome with menatetrenone, a vitamin K2 analog.
abstract: Although vitamin K2 is an inducer of the in vitro differentiation of myeloid leukemic cell lines, its clinical efficacy in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is unclear. We administered a vitamin K2 analog, menatetrenone, at 45 mg daily to an 80-year-old woman with MDS (refractory anemia) heavily dependent on red-cell transfusions. The patient's pancytopenia gradually improved, and she became transfusion-independent after 14 months. Pancytopenia recurred when menatetrenone was discontinued but recovered again with readministration. Administration of menatetrenone at a dose effective in improving osteoporosis may also be useful in restoring hematopoiesis in MDS patients, possibly by way of inducing differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kurobe City Hospital, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ontachi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000753:Anemia, Refractory / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024482:Vitamin K 2 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D024482:Vitamin K 2; D014812:Vitamin K; C030814:menatetrenone; D002112:Calcifediol