title: Therapy of aplastic anemia with sequential antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin.
abstract: Five consecutive patients with severe aplastic anemia were treated with antithymocyte globulin followed by cyclosporin A. All received antithymocyte globulin initially, and because of lack of response within a 4 week period, cyclosporin was administered subsequently. Hematologic improvement occurred within four months of initiation of cyclosporin. Four patients no longer require blood product support, while one remains transfusion-dependent. In two patients, thrombocytopenia developed when the cyclosporin was tapered but re-institution of the drug resulted in a prompt improvement of counts. These observations indicate that the sequential use of antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin may be an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City 66103.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Doolittle
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bodensteiner
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Skikne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amare
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D003524:Cyclosporins