title: [The efficacy and safety of 2 cycles' high-dose dexamethasone treatment adult primary immune thrombocytopenia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and safety of a schedule of 2 cycles' high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) as an initial therapy in adults immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and compare with conventional dose prednisone therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 59 newly diagnosed ITP patients were divided into 2 groups randomly. In 30 patients (Dexamethasone group), oral HD-DXM was administered at 40 mg/d for 4 consecutive days, repeated one week later, and then failed to maintain. In the remaining 29 patients (Prednisone group), prednisone was administered orally at 1.0 - 1.5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) for 4 weeks, and then gradually tapered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For short-term efficacy, after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment, the response rate in Dexamethasone group was significantly higher than that in Prednisone group (50.0% vs 24.1%, P < 0.01; 73.3% vs 55.2%, P < 0.05), while 3 weeks later, there was no remarkable difference between the two groups (83.3% vs 68.9%, P > 0.05), though the response rate in Dexamethasone group remained higher. For long-term effect, at the end of the 2nd and 3rd months of follow-up, the relapse rate in Dexamethasone group was significantly lower than that in Prednisone group (24.0% vs 40.0%, P < 0.05; 32.0% vs 65.0%, P < 0.01), while at the end of the 1(st) month of follow-up, there was no significant difference (16.0% vs 20.0%, P > 0.05). In addition, it's well tolerated and no complications such as severe infection or Cushing syndrome were complained in Dexamethasone group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HD-DXM possesses an advantage over conventional dose prednisone therapy in efficacy and safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Hong-guo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong-yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D011241:Prednisone