Partial SAA patients benefit from delayed response of IST

Introduction

Severe aplastic anemia(SAA)is a severe disease characterized by immune-mediated bone marrow failure and pancytopenia. Immunosuppressive therapy (ATG plus CsA, IST) is the standard treatment for patients who are not suitable for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Some patients have a delayed response after 6 months of ATG, and unnecessary to be given secondary ATG or allo-HSCT. We attempted to distinguish patients who may get potential delayed response from those who were really not responsive to IST.

Methods

We collected data from 45 SAA patients who were assessed no-response to IST at 6 months after rATG and failed to receive secondary ATG or allo-HSCT.

Results

CsA plus eltrombopag (EPAG) group has an extra 75% response rate while CsA maintenance group has an extra 44% response rate at 12 months. ATG was applied within 30 days after diagnosis, ATG dosage was suffificient (ATG/lymphocyte ≥2), and absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) was ≥30×109 /L at 6 months, indicated patients could get delayed response and benefifit from CsA maintenance. Addition of EPAG could give an even better response. Otherwise, secondary ATG or allo-HSCT treatment were recommended to be given immediately.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/searchproj.aspx, identifier ChiCTR2300067615.

Case Report: A Child With Hemophilia A Serves as Donor for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation to Cure His Brother's Severe Aplastic Anemia

The first-line treatment of severe aplastic anemia is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with a matched sibling donor. However, co-morbidities of the identical donor can make donation difficult. We present a transplantation where in parallel with the patient's conditioning treatment, the preparation of the donor with severe hemophilia A required a special management with perioperative factor VIII substitution. Donation was successful without complications, and 18 months after transplantation, the patient and his donor are well without any long-term sequelae. To our knowledge, this is the first reported succesfull transplantation with hemophilic child serving as a bone marrow donor. The procedure did not mean a significant risk to donor health, so donors with hemophilia should not be excluded from donation.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of anti-thymocyte globulin combined with eltrombopag in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia

BACKGROUND

When it comes to the treatment of aplastic anemia fever, the Guidelines for Aplastic Anemia regards Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) combined with eltrombopag as the standard immunosuppressive treatment plan, and ATG is the main mode to treat severe aplastic anemia. A large number of prospective studies and clinical trials have confirmed the clinical application value of eltrombopag in aplastic anemia. Although ATG combined with eltrombopag brings satisfactory treatment results, the safety of long-term use is still unclear. Therefore, more clinical trial studies are needed to verify its safety.

METHODS

Literature in the Chinese and English medical databases was searched using the following search terms: "Antithymocyte globulin", "severed aplastic anemia" and "eltrombopag". Patients in the experimental group were administered ATG combined with eltrombopag and patients in the control group received ATG treatment alone. Rev Man5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 16 references were included in this meta-analysis. Heterogeneity tests examining total effective rate demonstrated that Chi2 =4.48, df =15, I2=0%<50%, and P=1.00>0.01. The effective rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, with odds ratio (OR) =1.90 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35 to 2.68 (Z=3.70, P=0.0002). The heterogeneity test results of the survival rate within 2 years were Chi2 =3.09, df =7, I2=0%<50%, and P=0.88>0.01. The survival rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, with OR =2.54, and 95% CI: 1.58 to 4.09 (Z=3.84, P=0.0001). The heterogeneity test results of the mortality rate were Chi2 =3.49, df =6, I2=0%<50%, and P=0.75>0.01. The mortality rate of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group, with OR =0.48 and 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.70 (Z=3.84, P=0.0001). The heterogeneity test results of the occurrence of side effects were Chi2 =0.12, df =3, I2=0%<50%, P=0.99>0.01. The incidence of side effects in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group, with OR =0.74, 95% CI: 0.48 to 1.17 (Z=1.29, P=0.20).

DISCUSSION

This meta-analysis demonstrated that the combination of ATG with eltrombopag in the treatment of SAA is safer and more effective than ATG alone.

Cord blood transplantation for bone marrow failure syndromes: state of art

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) represent the milestones of the treatment algorithm for idiopathic and inherited bone marrow failure (BMF) disorders. However, patients lacking a suitable donor or failing IST still have a poor prognosis. Cord blood transplantation (CBT) has extended the possibility of HSCT for many patients in case of the absence of an eligible donor, and although in the last years, this procedure is less used in several hematological diseases, it remains an option for the treatment of patients with BMF syndromes. Nevertheless, optimization of conditioning regimen and cord blood unit selection is warranted to reduce the risk of graft failure and transplant-related mortality. This review summarizes the state of art of CBT in the field of BMF diseases, focusing on historical and recent issues in idiopathic aplastic anemia and inherited disorders.

Effects and Predictive Factors of Immunosuppressive Therapy Combined with Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion in Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficacy and safety of umbilical cord blood (UCB) infusion (UCBI) plus immunosuppressive therapy (IST) treatment in comparison to IST treatment, as well as predictive factors for clinical responses, in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Totally, 93 patients with SAA were enrolled in this cohort study. In the IST group, rabbit antithymocyte globulin (r-ATG) combined with cyclosporine A (CsA) was administered, while in the IST+UBCI group, r-ATG, CsA, and UCB were used.

RESULTS

After 6 months of treatment, UCBI+IST achieved a higher complete response (CR) rate (p=0.002) and an elevated overall response rate (ORR) (p=0.004), compared to IST. Regarding hematopoietic recovery at month 6, platelet responses in the UCBI+IST group were better than those in the IST group (p=0.002), and UCBI+IST treatment facilitated increasing trends in absolute neutrophil count (ANC) response (p=0.056). Kaplan-Meier curves illuminated UCBI+IST achieved faster ANC response (p<0.001) and platelet response (p<0.001), compared with IST therapy. There was no difference in overall survival (OS) between the two groups (p=0.620). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that UCBI+IST was an independent predicting factor for both CR (p=0.001) and ORR (p<0.001), compared to IST; meanwhile, very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA) and ANC could predict clinical responses as well. However, Cox proportional hazard regression indicated that VSAA (p=0.003), but not UCBI+IST, affected OS. Safety profiles showed that UCBI+IST therapy did not elevate adverse events, compared with IST treatment.

CONCLUSION

UCBI+IST achieved better clinical responses and hematopoietic recovery than IST, and was well tolerated in SAA patients.