title: [Successful treatment with rituximab for autoimmune hemolytic anemia associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia].
abstract: A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) 3 years ago. His course was progressive, and he was complicated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). After the lack of efficacy of prednisone and cyclo-phosphamide, rituximab (375mg/m(2)) was administered based on the presence of CD20 positive leukemic cells by flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow. During 4 courses of rituximab administration, both anemia and hemolysis improved dramatically. Furthermore, the percentage of CLL cells in his peripheral blood was reduced. Rituximab may be one of the effective treatments for CLL associated AIHA in Japan as well as in foreign countries.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Sei-ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Moritaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: Tetsuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tauchi
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohyashiki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000069283:Rituximab