title: Antithymocyte globulin for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.
abstract: Twenty-five transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients (with < 20% blasts) were treated in a phase II study with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) at 40 mg/kg/d for four doses and then followed with blood counts every 2 weeks and clinic visits every 3 months, for a median of 14 months (range 1-38 months). 11 (44%) patients responded and became transfusion-independent after ATG, including three complete responses, six partial responses, and two minimal responses. Responses were observed in 9/14 patients (64%) with refractory anaemia (RA) and 2/6 patients (33%) with refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB). Median response duration was 10 months (range 3-38 months). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival was 84% at 38 months, with one early death due to pneumonia and two deaths from disease progression to leukaemia. Side-effects consisted mainly of mild serum sickness in all patients. A single course of ATG restored haemopoiesis in some patients with MDS and was well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Molldrem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caples
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mavroudis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D009504:Neutrophils; D010976:Platelet Count; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum