Abstract
Vinca-alcaloid (V-A) was given in slow infusion to six adult patients with refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), including 5 were unresponsive to glucocorticoids, and one who was unresponsive to danazol. Vincristine, 0.02 mg/kg or vinblastine 0.1 mg/kg, was dissolved in 500 ml of isotonic saline and infused intravenouslty over 6 hours.
The mean platelet count of the patients on study was 2.18±1.3 (×104/mm3), which rose to 6.8±3.7 (×104/mm3) to 7.8±4.4 (×104/mm3), to 11.2±6.6 (×104/mm3) and to 14.9±5.1 (×104/mm3), 1, 4, 8 and 15 weeks after the begnining of therapy, respectively. Side effects, including mild neuropathy, constipation, alopecia, and leukopenia were common on V-A slow infusion, but were decreased by the reduction of dose of V-A, except severe neuropathy in one patient who needed the cessation of therapy.
These findings indicated that Vinca-alkaloid slow infusion therapy is effective and tolerable to the patients with refractory ITP.
