Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, is effective in the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). There is a scarcity of data in lupus ITP. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of eltrombopag in lupus ITP. This is a single-center study of 12 people with systemic lupus erythematosus–associated ITP that was done between 2012 and 2017. The research comprised patients who had an insufficient or poor response to steroids and other immunosuppressants when treated with eltrombopag. The time it took for a patient to respond to therapy, the dose, the length of treatment, and the drug’s side effects were all recorded. The study comprised a total of 12 participants. At the start of eltrombopag, the median platelet count was 19,000 per L. It took 8 days for the patient to respond to treatment. At the 1-month follow-up, the median platelet count was 241,000 per L. All patients were given steroids and other immunosuppressants at the same time. All patients experienced long-term benefit after discontinuing eltrombopag. There were no adverse effects, including thrombotic complications.
Eltrombopag is a new medication in our arsenal for treating ITP in lupus patients. It is a medicine that works quickly, is safe, and is taken orally. It indirectly aids in lowering the dose of steroids and immunosuppressants, therefore reducing their cumulative harmful effects. It is a potential and safe therapeutic option for lupus-associated thrombocytopenia, but it has to be validated further by multicenter, multiethnic, randomised controlled studies.
