title: New system for assessing the prognosis of refractory anemia patients.
abstract: Refractory anemia (RA) is a very heterogeneous disease regarding biological and clinical features. The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) was useful for assessing the prognosis in the whole group of 219 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. However, the IPSS was not sufficient in 132 RA patients. To predict survival and freedom from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) evolution, we investigated individual prognostic factors based on the clinical parameters (age, gender, morphologic features, cytopenias and cytogenetics) of 132 RA patients using univariate and multivariate analyses. Based on the results, we devised a new system for assessing the prognosis of RA patients. In our system, RA patients with pseudo-Pelger-Huët anomalies >/=3% were classified as high risk (12 patients); of patients without pseudo-Pelger-Huët anomalies >/=3%, those with intermediate/poor karyotype according to IPSS, Hb </=6 g/dl or mMgk >/=10% were classified as intermediate risk (57 patients); and those without high or intermediate risk were classified as low risk (67 patients). In our system, the analyses of both survival times and leukemia-free survival times revealed significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.0001).
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Saitama Medical School, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jinnai
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yagasaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Murohashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bessho
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minamihisamatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchigami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomonaga
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000753:Anemia, Refractory / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000754:Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D048429:Cell Size; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000150:complications; D007970:Leukopenia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate