Therapy of aplastic anemia with sequential antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin

✍ Scribed by Gary C. Doolittle; David C. Bodensteiner; Barry S. Skikne; Mammo Amare

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 221 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/ajh.2830360214

✦ Synopsis

Five consecutive patients with severe aplastic anemia were treated with antithymocyte globulin followed by cyclosporin A. All received antithymocyte globulin initially, and because of lack of response within a 4 week period, cyclosporin was administered subsequently. Hematologic improvement occurred within four months of initiation of cyclosporin. Four patients no longer require blood product support, while one remains transfusion-dependent. In two patients, thrombocytopenia developed when the cyclosporin was tapered but re-institution of the drug resulted in a prompt improvement of counts. These observations indicate that the sequential use of antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin may be an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia.