Low dose antithymocyte globulin for the treatment of older patients with aplastic anaemia

Leukemia Research
Sally B KillickJudith C W Marsh

Abstract

We report 14 older patients with aplastic anaemia (AA) who were treated with 'low dose' antithymocyte globulin (ATG). The aims of the study were to assess the efficacy and safety of reduced dose ATG in patients over the age of 60 years. Median age was 71 years (range 62-74 years). At the study endpoint (response to treatment at 6 months) 12 patients were evaluable. All patients received lymphoglobuline (horse ATG; Genzyme) at a dose of 0.5vials/10kg/day for 5 days (5mg/kg/day, equivalent to one-third of the standard dose). There were no deaths attributed to ATG. Two patients died during follow-up, from sepsis and anaphylaxis following platelet transfusion, respectively. Only one of the 12 evaluable patients responded to treatment and remains transfusion independent at 14 months after ATG. These results suggest that this lower dose of ATG, though well tolerated, had low efficacy in the treatment of AA.

References

Aug 1, 1987·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·A T HuangS F Zhang
Jul 1, 1985·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·R F HunterA T Huang
Mar 8, 2000·Acta Haematologica·B M Camitta
Apr 12, 2000·British Journal of Haematology·S B KillickF M Gibson
Aug 6, 2002·Annals of Internal Medicine·Jeffrey J MolldremA John Barrett
Feb 15, 2003·International Immunopharmacology·Paolo MontiLorenzo Piemonti
Feb 18, 2003·British Journal of Haematology·Sally B KillickJudith C W Marsh
Mar 18, 2003·Transplantation·Marie-Cécile MichalletJean-Pierre Revillard
Jul 9, 2003·British Journal of Haematology·Julie FlynnFrances M Gibson

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