High-dose Dexamethasone Therapy as the Initial Treatment for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: Protocol for a Multicenter, Open-label, Single Arm Trial

Standard therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) has not been established. We are conducting a multicenter, prospective trial to determine the efficacy and safety of short-term, high-dose dexamethasone therapy in ITP patients aged 18-80 years with platelet counts of <20, 000 /μL, or with <50, 000/ μL and bleeding symptoms. The primary endpoints of this trial are the proportion of responses (complete plus partial response) on day 180 (day 46+180) after the completion of the 46-day high-dose dexamethasone therapy. The results of this investigation of the effectiveness and safety of this regimen will be essential for the establishment of standard therapy for ITP

Phase I/IIa Study of Low Dose Subcutaneous Interleukin-2 (IL-2) for Treatment of Refractory Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) remains a major problem for long survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Currently, corticosteroid therapy is effective for cGVHD as the first line therapy. However, prolonged therapy with corticosteroids causes various severe adverse events. To develop the new therapeutic strategy of cGVHD, we have launched a multicenter phase I/IIa clinical trial of low dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 (IL-2) for treatment of steroid refractory cGVHD, which is constituted of 2 sequential phases (induction phase and maitanance phase). This study will provide the new therapeutic option for patients with refractory cGVHD after allogeneic HSCT

Nodal Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma with T Follicular Helper Phenotype Presenting as Chorea During Treatment: A Case Report and Literature Review

A 72-year-old man presented with chorea while undergoing treatment for recurrence of nodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma with T follicular helper (TFH) phenotype. An examination by brain N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (I-123-IMP)-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed no abnormalities other than a decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the left striatum. After four courses of salvage chemotherapy, his clinical symptoms and asymmetric cerebral perfusion improved, suggesting that the decreased CBF had caused chorea. The significance of brain SPECT has not been fully clarified in patients with chorea-associated malignant lymphoma, warranting further investigations. Brain SPECT is an alternative approach to identify abnormalities in such patients