title: Darbepoetin alpha for the treatment of anaemia in low-intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: Thirty-seven anaemic subjects with low-to-intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) received the highly glycosylated, long-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating molecule darbepoetin-alpha (DPO) at the single, weekly dose of 150 microg s.c. for at least 12 weeks. Fifteen patients (40.5%) achieved an erythroid response (13 major and two minor improvements, respectively, according to International Working Group criteria). Such results are currently maintained after 7-22 months in 13 of the responders, one of whom required iron substitutive therapy during the treatment. One patient relapsed after 4 months. Another responder died after 5 months because of causes unrelated to the treatment. No relevant side-effects were recorded. At multivariate analysis, significant predictive factors of response were baseline serum levels of endogenous erythropoietin <100 IU/l, absent or limited transfusional needs, no excess of blasts and hypoplastic bone marrow. This study suggests that DPO, at the dose and schedule used, can be safely given in low-intermediate risk MDS and may be effective in a significant proportion of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, S. Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. p.musto@tin.it
authors.forename: Pellegrino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balleari
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falcone
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanpaolo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bodenizza
authors.forename: Potito Rosario
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Scalzulli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Sala
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campioni
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghio
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cascavilla
authors.forename: Angelo Michele
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa