Combination of rabbit antithymocyte globulin plus cyclosporin A as first-line immunosuppressive therapy for the childhood with severe aplastic anemia.

Objective: To analyse the efficacy and side-effects of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporin A (CsA) as the first-line therapy for childhood severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

Methods: Seventy-one childhood SAA patients treated with rabbit ATG + CsA as first line therapy were retrospectively analysed.

Results: Seventy-one SAA patients, including 38 SAA and 33 very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA), were enrolled. The median age was 12 years. Of these patients, 3 died within 3 months after the immunosuppressive therapy (IST). The overall response rate was 67.6% (46/68) and the median time to transfusion independent was 53 days. Thirty-three patients (48.5%) obtained remission in 3 months after the IST and 45 (67.2%) in 6 months. The response rates were 57.7% (15/26), 56.5% (13/23) and 94.7% (18/19) for patients less than 10 years old, 10 - 15 year-old and 15 - 18 year-old, respectively. Sixty patients suffered from serum sickness on the IST. Three patients relapsed and another 3 unrespond patients received retreatment of IST, and one patient progressed to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Conclusions: Rabbit ATG in combination with CsA as first line therapy for childhood SAA/VSAA can lead to overall response rate of 67.6% with minor adverse effects.