title: Prednisolone-sparing effect of cyclosporin A therapy for very elderly patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Three very elderly (over 80years old) patients having generalized myasthenia gravis without thymoma were treated with cyclosporin A and followed for up to 24months. Cyclosporin A therapy quickly improved myasthenia gravis symptoms in all cases, which allowed a rapid reduction in the prednisolone dose and improvement of prednisolone-related hyperglycemia and hypertension. Combination therapy with prednisolone and low-dose cyclosporin A not only improved the clinical symptoms of the very elderly myasthenia gravis patients but also resulted in a rapid reduction in prednisolone dosage and prednisolone-related side effects. Attention should be paid to cyclosporin A-related renal dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Seika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinde
authors.forename: Jun-Ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kusaka
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D011239:Prednisolone