Loading...
Among patients with aplastic anemia, 30% fail to respond to immunosuppressive therapy, and overall survival at 10 years is 60% to 80%. In addition to experiencing anemia and thrombocytopenia, patients with very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA) have neutrophil counts <0.2×109/L and are at risk for serious infections and death. Would adding granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to standard immunosuppressive therapy improve outcomes in these patients?
To find out, European investigators conducted a prospective, multicenter, open label, randomized, controlled trial of G-CSF in 192 patients: 70 had newly diagnosed VSAA, and 122 had newly diagnosed SAA (neutrophil counts <0.5×109/L). Participants received antithymocyte globulin and cyclospori…