title: Successful treatment with rituximab in a patient with TTP secondary to severe ANCA-associated vasculitis.
abstract: We report a case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) secondary to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis treated by rituximab. TTP secondary to ANCA-associated vasculitis is very rare and has a high mortality rate. We employed rituximab and successfully treated TTP secondary to ANCA-associated vasculitis, because standard therapies, such as steroid therapy, intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide, and repeated plasma exchange (PE), did not suppress her disease activity. This is the first report to suggest that rituximab can achieve complete remission of TTP secondary to ANCA-associated vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kidney Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University.
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asamiya
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nitta
mesh_terms: D056648:Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011697:Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D000069283:Rituximab; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab