Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0002871 (anemia)
 52,094 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In haematological diseases, insufficient data has been accumulated to evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppressive drug treatment in patients with erythroid aplasia or sideroblastic anaemia. Cyclophosphamide may be efficacious in inhibiting circulating anticoagulants in patients who need continued replacement of clotting factors. Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, cyclophosphamide and vincristine have been used successfully in treating patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and some patients with auto-immune haemolytic anaemia may benefit from the addition of purine analogues. However, the use of immunosuppressive therapy seems to accelerate the presence of haematological malignancies in patients with macroglobulinaemia. In gastro-intestinal diseases, uncontrolled studies have shown nitrogen mustard, 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine to be of modest benefit to patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In a controlled trial azathioprine plus prednisone proved more effective than prednisone alone in sustaining remission in patients with Crohn's disease. In patients with either chronic active hepatitis or primary biliary cirrhosis, however, there seems to be no benefit from immunosuppressive therapy for primary treatment of these diseases. Cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and methotrexate have all been used with some success in treating patient with uveitis, and in a controlled trial cytarabine has been shown to be beneficial to patients with herpes ophthalmicus. However, no benefit has been shown to patients with the eye changes of Graves' disease with either azathioprine or methotrexate. Patients with Paget's disease appear to be helped by mithramycin. Cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil and azathioprine are ineffective in treating patients with multiple sclerosis. 6-Mercaptopurine, azathioprine, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide have all produced some benefit in patients with myasthenia gravis, and some patients with idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis have responded to azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and cyclophosphamide. Alkylating agents have proved useful in treating some patients with asthma and in treating frequent relapsers among children with the nephrotic syndrome. In adults with membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis some patients have responded to combination therapy with cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and corticosteroids. Immunosuppressive therapy is also indicated in prolonging graft survivals in patients receiving organ transplants. Drug toxicities of immunosuppressive agents are discussed. Their long-term effects, including mutagenic potential, have as yet not been fully elucidated.
 ...
PMID:Clinical use of immunosuppressive drugs: part II. 127 59

A 32-year-old woman was admitted for evaluation of fever, blurred vision in the left eye, nasal and gingival bleeding and arthralgia. There was a macular hemorrhage, a tender mass in the left lower abdomen and edema of both legs. She also had anemia, mild thrombocytopenia, platelet function abnormalities, kidney dysfunction, and albuminuria. Serology was positive for antinuclear antibodies and double-stranded DNA; complement level was low, and circulating anticoagulants were present. Kidney biopsy established the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Abdominal sonography demonstrated perisplenic and pelvic bleeding. A pulse therapy of corticosteroids with low-dose oral cyclophosphamide, along with platelet transfusions and infusions of deamino-d-arginine vasopressin resulted in symptomatic and laboratory improvement. Bleeding stopped, platelet function became normal, kidney function tests returned to normal and she became seronegative. It is emphasized that platelet function abnormalities are rare in SLE. The thrombocytopenia was too mild to cause spontaneous bleeding, and lupus anticoagulant is usually associated with thromboembolic complications and not with spontaneous bleeding. It is therefore conceivable that in this case platelet function abnormalities were responsible for the spontaneous bleeding, the presenting sign which led to establishing the diagnosis.
 ...
PMID:[Bleeding due to platelet dysfunction as a presenting symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus]. 867 11