Predictors of response to immunosuppressive therapy with antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine and prognostic factors for survival in patients with severe aplastic anemia.
BACKGROUND
Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) plus cyclosporine (CSA) is standard therapy in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who do not have an available HLA-matched sibling donor.


METHODS
The current study aimed to determine the predictive factors for response to IST in patients with SAA and to identify prognostic factors following IST. A total of 62 patients diagnosed with SAA who received IST with either rabbit ATG (n = 33) or horse ATG (n = 29) plus CSA between October 1994 and December 2007 were included.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up duration of 60.5 months, complete response and overall response were estimated to be 31% and 53%, respectively. The 4 yr overall survival rate was 75 + or - 6%. In terms of predicting the response to IST, neutrophil counts above 0.3 x 10(9)/L prior to IST were the only significant predictive factor (P = 0.02). Survival following IST was significantly different in favor of both the group showing high absolute reticulocyte counts (ARC) above 10.9 x 10(9)/L prior to IST (P = 0.004) and the group achieving any response following IST (P = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-IST neutrophil counts might predict the response to IST, while absolute ARCs prior to IST and response status after IST could be prognostic factors following IST.
Chang
Myung H
MH
Department of Hematology/Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Kyoung H
KH
Kim
Hyo S
HS
Jun
Hyun J
HJ
Kim
Dong H
DH
Jang
Jun H
JH
Kim
Kihyun
K
Jung
Chul W
CW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D011817:Rabbits; D017701:Reticulocyte Count; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine