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Refractory systemic lupus erythematosus-associated thrombocytopenia treated with avatrombopag: A case report
Received date: 2025-08-14
Online published: 2026-02-28
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Thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematological complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening complications such as intracranial hemorrhage, significantly affecting the prognosis of patients. Clinically, after treatment with standard-dose glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mo-fetil, etc.), the platelet count of most patients can rapidly increase and remain stable. However, there are still some refractory patients who do not respond to traditional treatment and require advanced therapeutic regimens such as biological agents or thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs). This article reports a case of a 38-year-old young female patient with SLE. By the 17th week of her pregnancy, severe thrombocytopenia (9×109/L) was detected. Laboratory tests showed an antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer of 1 ∶ 320, decreased complement C3, and elevated antiphospholipid antibodies. Additionally, she had a popliteal vein thrombosis in the right lower extremity. Bone marrow aspiration indicated a disorder in the differentiation and maturation of megakaryocytes. The patient was diagnosed with SLE, secondary immune thrombocytopenia, and antiphospholipid syndrome. At the end of 21 weeks of gestation, the patient underwent a cesarean section to terminate the pregnancy due to concurrent asymptomatic pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension. During the entire disease course, the patient only had a transient response (duration no more than 1 week) to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or high-dose glucocorticoid pulse therapy. She showed no response to conventional-dose glucocorticoids (methylprednisolone 40-80 mg/d), immunosuppressants (such as tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and sirolimus), rituximab, and TPO-RAs (e.g., eltrombopag). The platelet count persistently fluctuated between 1×109/L and 10×109/L, accompanied by intermittent gingival and vaginal bleeding. Intermittent IVIG infusions and subcutaneous injection of leuprolide acetate for artificial amenorrhea were required for treatment. Finally, after the patient received avatrombopag 20 mg once daily for 5 days, the platelet count rapidly increased to the normal range and remained stable for a relatively long period. This case suggests that TPO-RAs can be an effective treatment option for patients with refractory SLE complicated by thrombocytopenia who are unresponsive to traditional therapies. Additionally, there are differences in response among different TPO-RAs, and switching to another TPO-RA may yield favorable therapeutic effects. This provides a new practical reference for the individualized treatment of such refractory cases in clinical practice.
Xiaofei TANG , Qiuling DING , Yang ZHANG , Yumei WANG , Meiyi TIAN , Zhuo SUN , Rongrong WANG , Yan CHEN , Jian LIU . Refractory systemic lupus erythematosus-associated thrombocytopenia treated with avatrombopag: A case report[J]. Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences), 2026 , 58(2) : 405 -409 . DOI: 10.19723/j.issn.1671-167X.2026.02.028
利益冲突 所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突。
作者贡献声明 汤晓菲:提出研究思路,撰写文章;丁秋玲、张阳、王育梅、田美伊、孙卓、王荣荣、陈妍:收集、整理、分析临床数据;刘坚:总体把关,提出修改意见和审定论文。所有作者均参与论文修改,并对最终文稿进行审读和确认。
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