title: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy responsive to mycophenolate mofetil therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Evidence is growing that MMF is effective as an immunomodulatory drug in neuromuscular diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A database of 184 patients with CIDP was analysed to obtain clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological information for patients with CIDP treated with MMF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients, who met the inclusion criteria, received MMF (mean dose 2 g/day; median duration 15.2 months). The average Neuropathy Impairment Score of the eight patients improved from baseline (72.3+/-35) after initiation of MMF therapy (37.8+/-37; p<0.001). Six of these eight patients were either able to stop concomitant medications (corticosteroid, intravenous immunoglobulin) or reduce their doses and frequency by > or = 50%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our pilot data suggest that MMF appears to be an effective therapy for patients with naive or refractory CIDP, and further controlled studies are warranted for their confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Gurdesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bedi
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Khema R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid