Clinical effect of tacrolimus in the treatment of myasthenia gravis in children
LI Jiu-Wei, FANG Fang, REN Xiao-Tun, ZHANG Wei-Hua, YANG Xin-Ying, REN Chang-Hong, GONG Shuai, LYU Jun-Lan, WANG Xiao-Hui, WANG Xu, WU Hu-Sheng, DING Chang-Hong
Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China
Abstract:Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in the treatment of children with myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods A total of 28 children with MG were treated with tacrolimus. MG-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale was used to assess clinical outcome and safety after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. Results After tacrolimus treatment, the MG-ADL score at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months was lower than that at baseline (P < 0.05), and the MG-ADL score showed a gradually decreasing trend. The response rates to tacrolimus treatment at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 59%, 81%, 84%, 88%, and 88% respectively. At 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of treatment, 4, 13, 14, and 15 children respectively were withdrawn from prednisone. No recurrence was observed during treatment. Major adverse reactions/events were asymptomatic reduction in blood magnesium in 5 children and positive urine occult blood in 1 child, which turned negative without special treatment, and tacrolimus was not stopped due to such adverse reactions/events. One child was withdrawn from tacrolimus due to recurrent vomiting. According to CYP3A5 genotypes, all of the patients were divided into two groups:slow metabolic type (n=19) and non-slow metabolic type (fast metabolic type + intermediate type; n=9). The non-slow metabolism group received a higher dose of tacrolimus, but had a lower trough concentration of tacrolimus than the slow metabolism group (P < 0.05). The slow metabolism group had a higher response rates to tacrolimus treatment than the non-slow metabolism group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Tacrolimus appears to be effective and safe in the treatment of children with MG and is thus an option for immunosuppressive therapy. CYP3A5 genotyping has a certain guiding significance for determining the dosage of tacrolimus.
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