title: Treatment of severe aplastic anemia by immunosuppressor anti-lymphocyte globulin/anti-thymus globulin as the chief medicine in combination with Chinese drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the therapeutic effect of combined therapy with Chinese drugs and immuno-suppressors, mainly anti-lymphocyte globulin/anti-thymus globulin (ALG/ATG), for the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA), the efficacy associated factors and adverse effects as well.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted on 65 patients with SAA treated by combined therapy which was supplemented with cyclosporin A, androgen, hematopoietic growth factor, etc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 57 patients followed-up, 26 (45.6%) were basically cured, 15 (26.3%) remitted, and 8 (14.0%) improved markedly, the total effective rate being 85.9%. By separately comparing with a single item of clinical data, it was shown that the therapeutic effectiveness was correlated, to a certain extent, with age, illness duration, neutrophil count, and bone marrow proliferation in patients before treatment, as well as with infection that occurred in the follow-up period. It was obviously higher in patients with peripheral neutrophil count > 0.5 x 10 10(9)/L (P<0.05). Various degrees of serum sickness-like reactions occurred in the treatment of 36 patients, including fever in 36 (63.2%), skin rash in 8 (14.0%), and musculoskeletal pain in 5 (8.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapeutic effect of combined therapy with Chinese drugs and ALG/ATG in treating SAA could be affirmed, showing some superiority as compared with Western medicine alone. The patients' age, duration of illness, neutrophil count, and bone marrow proliferation before treatment, and degree of infection that occurred could affect the therapeutic efficacy to a certain extent. Adverse reactions resulting from the combined therapy are less, showing the toxicity reducing and effect enhancing action of Chinese drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, First Clinical Medical College Affiliated to Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, China.
authors.forename: Bing-rong
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jian-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hai-feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Sheng-yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yu-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C541522:qingwen baidu