Leukemia Research
Volume 30, Issue 12 , Pages 1517-1520, December 2006

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

  • S.B. Killick

      Affiliations

    • Department of Haematology, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Castle Lane East, Bournemouth BH7 7DW, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 1202 704783; fax: +44 1202 300248.
    • ,
  • J.D. Cavenagh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Haematology, St. Bartholomew's and The Royal London Hospitals, UK
    • ,
  • J.K. Davies

      Affiliations

    • Department of Haematology, St. Bartholomew's and The Royal London Hospitals, UK
    • ,
  • J.C.W. Marsh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Haematology, St. George's Hospital and St. George's University of London, UK

Received 1 February 2006; received in revised form 1 February 2006; accepted 2 February 2006. published online 07 March 2011.

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.

Keywords: Aplastic anaemia, Antithymocyte globulin, ATG

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PII: S0145-2126(06)00061-0

doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2006.02.003

Leukemia Research
Volume 30, Issue 12 , Pages 1517-1520, December 2006

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