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Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes with recombinant human erythropoietin
Author(s) -
Hellström Eva,
Birgegård Gunnar,
Lockner Dieter,
Helmers Claes,
Öst Åke,
Wide Leif
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1991.tb01860.x
Subject(s) - erythropoietin , medicine , hemoglobin , anemia , myelodysplastic syndromes , gastroenterology , recombinant dna , bone marrow , surgery , biology , biochemistry , gene
12 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r‐epo). 5 patients had stable anemia, 78–92 g/l, and 7 were transfusion‐dependent. In 11 patients, r‐epo was given intravenously three times a week, with dose escalation after 4 and 8 wk if hemoglobin did not increase more than 15 g/l. The doses were 600, 1500 and 3000 U/kg body weight/wk. The 12th patient was treated subcutaneously with a dose of 560 U/kg/wk. 3 patients showed a significant response with an increase in hemoglobin of ≥ 15 g/l. 2 of these had stable anemia before treatment and increased in hemoglobin from 87 to 116 g/l and from 80 to 99 g/l, respectively. The 3rd patient was transfusion‐dependent and rose to a stable hemoglobin level between 76 and 80 g/l without transfusions. 2 patients showed a reduction of their transfusion need. Mean initial serum erythropoietin in the responding group was 366 U/l compared to 1049 among the non‐responders (p = 0.367). Response was observed in 5/7 patients without bone marrow sideroblasts and in 0/5 patients with sideroblasts (p = 0.027). Erythropoietin seems to be an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for a certain proportion of patients with MDS. A larger patient material might provide a model for predicting responses.