BLOOD COUNT IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATED WITH MITOXANTRONE IN SHORT TIME OBSERVATION.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system. Etiology of MS is undiscovered but it is assumed that both genetic and environmental triggers play an important role in disease pathogenesis. Mitoxantrone (MTX) is an antracycline antibiotic that is used in oncologic treatment of breast, prostate, liver, ovarian and stomach cancer. MTX is also effective in treatment of primary and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and in relapsing - remitting subtype of disease with no reaction for other drugs therapy. In treatment of MS drug is given intravenously in a dose of 12 mg/m2 in three months intervals to maximal dose of 120-140 mg/m² of body surface. MTX treatment can cause transient reduction of leukocyte, erythrocyte and thrombocyte number in blood but the most dangerous side effect of MTX treatment is therapy related acute leukemia (TRAL). The aim of this study was to evaluate influence of MTX treatment on complete blood count in multiple sclerosis patients. Seventy two patients with multiple sclerosis treated with mitoxantrone from 2002 to 2014 took part in this study. Control group comprised 60 patients with multiple sclerosis who weren't given immunomodulatory treatment. In this study, amount of leukocytes, erythrocytes and thrombocytes after MTX treatment was compared to those before treatment and in control group. Six patients were withdrawn from the study because of leucopenia. A decrease of leukocytes, erythrocytes and thrombocytes number after MTX treatment was observed in comparison to control group and value before treatment. The decrease of erythrocytes number after MTX treatment was statistically significant. The most frequent side effect of mitoxantrone treatment is transient, asymptomatic leucopenia. Therapy related acute leukemia and other life-threatening complications weren't observed in the study group.