Low dose cyclosporine-a therapy in severe aplastic anaemia.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of low dose cyclosporine-A in the patients of severe aplastic anaemia, who cannot afford allogenic bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy with antithymocyte globulin.


METHODS
The diagnosis of severe aplastic anaemia was established by standard criteria. Twelve patients were given cyclosporine-A orally at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight in divided doses in two daily equal proportions for six months. Eleven patients were put on oral stanozolol in the dosage of 1 mg/kg body weight/day in divided doses. All surviving patients were evaluated at three and six months.


RESULTS
At the end of six months, 41.66% of twelve patients responded to cyclosporine-A. One patient had complete response and four patients had partial response. Only one out of 11 patients receiving stanozolol responded.


CONCLUSIONS
i) Cyclosporine-A is a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of severe aplastic anaemia, ii) Low dose cyclosporine-A is able to slow down the stormy course of the severe aplastic anaemia, iii) Androgens have very little effect on the survival of patients of severe aplastic anaemia.
Rai
M
M
Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Singh
V P
VP
Shukla
J
J
Sundar
S
S
Jha
V C
VC
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013197:Stanozolol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013197:Stanozolol; D016572:Cyclosporine