Bortezomib for immune thrombocytopenia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Targeted treatment of autoimmune cytopenias in primary immunodeficiencies

Primary Immunodeficiencies (PID) are a group of rare congenital disorders of the immune system. Autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) represents the most common autoimmune manifestation in PID patients. Treatment of AIC in PID patients can be really challenging, since they are often chronic, relapsing and refractory to first line therapies, thus requiring a broad variety of alternative therapeutic options. Moreover, immunosuppression should be fine balanced considering the increased susceptibility to infections in these patients. Specific therapeutic guidelines for AIC in PID patients are lacking. Treatment choice should be guided by the underlying disease. The study of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in the genesis of AIC in PID and our growing ability to define the molecular underpinnings of immune dysregulation has paved the way for the development of novel targeted treatments. Ideally, targeted therapy is directed against an overexpressed or overactive gene product or substitutes a defective protein, restoring the impaired pathway. Actually, the molecular diagnosis or a specific drug is not always available. However, defining the category of PID or the immunological phenotype can help to choose a semi-targeted therapy directed towards the suspected pathogenic mechanism. In this review we overview all the therapeutic interventions available for AIC in PID patients, according to different immunologic targets. In particular, we focus on T and/or B cells targeting therapies. To support decision making in the future, prospective studies to define treatment response and predicting/stratifying biomarkers for patients with AIC and PID are needed.

Combination of low-dose rituximab, bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) therapy may be associated with severe complications such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, peptic ulcers, infection, and some other diseases. To reduce those effects, we used low-dose rituximab, bortezomib and dexamethasone (LowR-BD regimen) to treat AIHA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this regimen.Seven patients with warm AIHA (wAIHA) admitted from March 2020 to October 2020 were treated with LowR-BD regimen: Rituximab 100 mg by intravenous infusion on day 1 combined with bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 by subcutaneous injection on day 2 plus dexamethasone 20 mg by intravenous infusion on days 2, 3. Clinical efficacy and safety were assessed at the regular reexamination of relevant indicators and follow-up.After 4 cycles of the LowR-BD regimen, the overall response rate (ORR) was 85.71% with a complete response (CR) of 28.57% and a partial response (PR) of 57.14%. After a median follow-up of 12 (range 7-13) months, 5 patients achieved CR and 2 patients had PR status, including 1 patient who did not respond to LowR-BD treatment and reached CR after using methylprednisolone combined with cyclophosphamide. One patient relapsed and achieved PR after retreatment of 2 cycles LowR-BD regimen. The patients tolerated the treatment well and did not complain of apparently adverse reactions except a patient with Sjogren's syndrome and bronchiectasis who developed a severe infection during treatment.Low-dose rituximab combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone is effective and relatively safe in patients with wAIHA.