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PubMed1987

Refractory anemia in the elderly.

Anatomical observations have indicated a decrease of marrow cellularity with age, but these changes are not associated with anemia in the healthy geriatric patient. Aged patients with refractory anemia should be studied by utilizing red cell volume (MCV) and red cell heterogeneity (RDW). A classification with these indices initially can separate the anemias for a more fruitful investigation. By old age the anemias of hereditary red cell membrane or hemoglobin disorders should be known to the patient. In the absence of tumor, elderly patients have an increasing frequency of refractory anemias that can be called preleukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. Morphological observations have emphasized the importance of abnormal megakaryocytes and platelets in all phases of preleukemia, and these cytologic changes should be used to guide the physician in the early diagnosis of the syndrome complex. This group of refractory anemias have a limited survival, but nonspecific marrow stimulation can be effective and should be tried. With a more complete classification of the chromosomal abnormalities in the myelodysplastic syndrome, a more accurate prognosis can be anticipated. The anemias of marrow aplasia and ineffective iron utilization (anemia of chronic disease) are found frequently in the elderly, and the physician may offer more effective therapy by an early diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Multiple discriminant analysis for prognosis of refractory anemia].

Forty-eight patients with refractory anemia (RA) were retrospectively analyzed for their prognosis and subclassified into three groups: 12 patients with hematological improvement (A), 23 patients with no changes (B), and 13 patients with progression to RAEB or acute leukemia (C). For all patients, the median survival were 49.2 months, and the rate of leukemic transformation was 16%. The median survivals were 60.6, 32.1, and 17.9 months, respectively, for groups A, B and C. The factors indicating poor prognosis were low reticulocyte counts, low neutrophil alkaline phosphatase activity, low% red cell utilization, high M/E ratio, high blast percentage in the bone marrow and cytological abnormalities in the granulocyte and megakaryocyte series. By using multiple discriminant analysis, we obtained a formula for the prognostic estimation with a discrimination probability of 62.5%. This formula could predict either the patients with good (Y greater than 0.85) or poor (Y less than 0.59) prognosis, and might be useful to select the treatment for this intractable anemia at the time of diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Clinical report on treatment of 7 patients with refractory anemia by using cyclosporin A].

To explore the treatment of refractory anemia (RA), 7 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (subtype of refractory anemia) were treated in combination of cyclosporin A (CsA) with stanozolol. Duration of treatment with CsA was 5 months-3 years (mean 13 months). The results showed that among 7 cases 6 were effective, 1 case no responded to treatment. 3 cases out of 6 effective cases achieved complete remission without transfusion dependence, 1 cases achieved partial remission, 2 cases were improved. During the investigation signs of leukemia ot other malignant tumors not were found in all cases. In conclusion, CsA treatment is effective for part cases of RA, side effects of drugs are tolerable for patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[Prednisolone, 1 alpha hydroxyvitamin D3 and androgens in the management in patients with refractory anemias].

In a cooperative trial, 99 patients with refractory anemias were treated according to a standard protocol consisting of successive administration of prednisolone (PSL), 1 alpha hydroxyvitamin D3 (D3) and androgens. The primary objective of this protocol was to ameliorate peripheral cytopenia and to assess the value of the 3 drugs, claimed to be of some value, in the management of patients with refractory anemias. In principle, patients were initially treated with oral PSL 40-60 mg/day. Patients not responding to PSL within 4 weeks had an 8-week trial of D3 starting with 1 microgram/day, increasing to 3 micrograms/day. Those not responding to either of the two were given AS. Although the number of evaluable courses is limited as yet for each drug, the preliminary results suggest 1) a slight to moderate increase in hemoglobin in 20-25% of patients on PSL, 2) a partial increase in granulocyte and/or platelets and a reduction of marrow blasts in 10-20% of patients during the administration of D3 and 3) the effects are poorer in cases of severe cytopenia. In addition, the improvement was mostly transient. The treatment was well tolerated in the majority of patients.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

Re-evaluation of refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation.

The category 'refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEBt)' consists of two sub-sets; one group is categorized based on the percentage of blasts in the marrow (> or =20%) and other is based on the percentage of blasts in the peripheral blood (> or =5%). We separated RAEBt patients based on these two criteria and compared hematologic and clinical relevance to assess the reasonable basis for the new classification. All RAEBt patients showing peripheral blood (PB) blasts of > or =5% were re-classified as RAEB by the WHO classification. This subset of RAEBt patients had lower percentages of bone marrow (BM) blasts, and notably they showed frequent complex cytogenetic abnormalities, including -5/5q- and/or -7/7q-. Moreover, the RAEBt patients of this group had shorter survivals compared to RAEBt patients with BM blasts between 20 and 30%. We next assessed hematologic and clinical relevance between refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) and RAEBt patients with PB blasts of > or =5%. Except for the percentage of blasts in the PB (P=0.0037) and BM (P=0.0073), there was no significant difference in hematologic or clinical features between RAEB patients with BM blasts of > or =11% and RAEBt patients with PB blasts of > or =5%. When MDS patients with PB blasts of > or =5% (RAEBt by the FAB classification) were included as RAEB-II based on the "MDS 2000 classification', there was a high frequency of patients with complex chromosome changes, involving 5q and 7q, with significant poorer outcome compared to those with RAEB-I. Although it is still controversial whether MDS patients with BM blasts 20% or more should be considered as acute leukemia, the utilization of the 'MDS 2000 classification' might be useful to designate MDS patients diagnosed based on the percentage of blasts in the peripheral blood.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Percentages of bone marrow blasts and chromosomal changes in patients with refractory anemia help to determine prognoses.

We statistically analyzed the hematologic findings of patients with refractory anemia (RA) to identify parameters associated with a poor prognosis. We first separated the RA patients into two groups: one group with disease progression and one without. The patients with disease progression were predominantly male and had a significantly higher percentage of bone marrow (BM) blasts at the time of diagnosis (3.06 +/- 1.29% vs. 1.44 +/- 1.38%, P < 0.005). This finding was confirmed when the patients were separated into the two groups; those who survived and those who expired (BM blasts: 2.68 +/- 1.59% vs. 1.37 +/- 1.27%, P < 0.005). The survival probabilities were calculated depending on whether or not the RA patients had > or = 3% BM blasts. The RA patients with > or = 3% BM blasts had a significantly worse prognosis (P < 0.01) than the patients with < 3% BM blasts. Notably, the RA patients with > or = 3% BM blasts did not show any significant differences in the incidence of disease progression, mortality rate, or survival probability, when compared with the patients with RA with an excess of blasts (RAEB). The present findings indicate that RA patients are heterogeneous with regard to prognosis, and the RA patients with > or = 3% BM blasts might have a poorer prognosis than those with fewer BM blasts. Thus we propose a general approach in predicting the prognosis of RA patients: those with complex chromosomal changes will expire shortly. Secondly, when the patients do not have any complex changes, the prognosis might be linked to the percentage of BM-blasts at the MDS diagnosis.

Anemia, Refractory↗
PubMed2002

F-blast is a useful marker for differentiating hypocellular refractory anemia from aplastic anemia.

Making a morphologic distinction between hypocellular refractory anemia (hypo RA) and aplastic anemia (AA) is difficult. To investigate the significance of hemoglobin F-containing erythroblasts (F-blasts) and p53 expression in making the distinction between hypo RA and acquired AA, we immunohistochemically assessed F-blasts and p53 in bone marrow specimens from 16 patients with hypo RA, 31 patients with acquired AA, and 15 hematologically normal individuals. F-blast production was elevated in 87.5% (14/16) of patients with hypo RA, but in only 3.2% (1/31) of patients with AA (P < .01). p53 was overexpressed in 75.0% (12/16) of hypo RA patients and in 6.4% (2/31) of AA patients (P < .01). The mean contents of F-blasts and p53-positive cells in patients with hypo RA were 6.31% +/- 3.27% and 7.54% +/- 4.36%, respectively, of all bone marrow cells, which were significantly higher than for patients with AA (0.35% +/- 0.46% and 0.58% +/- 1.29%, P < .01). In conclusion, a high prevalence of elevated F-blast production is noted in hypo RA, suggesting that the assessment of F-blasts in bone marrow can be used as an additional tool for differentiating hypo RA from acquired AA.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

p53 protein overexpression in bone marrow biopsies of patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome has a prevalence similar to that of patients with refractory anemia.

CONTEXT: Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by pancreatic insufficiency, neutropenia, and in some patients, metaphyseal dysostosis. Patients with SDS are at a high risk for development of bone marrow failure, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute leukemia. The p53 gene plays a major role in cell-cycle regulation, particularly in the presence of a genetic alteration in DNA, a critical step for the initiation of leukemogenesis. p53 gene up-regulation and p53 protein overexpression may occur as a cellular reaction to significant DNA damage. Shwachman-Diamond syndrome and refractory anemia patients have close similarities in the prevalence of acute leukemia and in cell-cycle changes in bone marrow cells. This similarity was further investigated for p53 protein overexpression using archived tissue from patients with hematologic diseases having various leukemic propensities, including SDS and refractory anemia. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for p53 protein overexpression was performed on bone marrow biopsies from 9 patients with SDS. These specimens were compared with biopsies from 71 patients with acquired hematologic disorders with variable risk levels for leukemia, including acquired aplastic anemia (n = 14), refractory anemia (n = 46), and various acquired cytopenias (n = 11), as well as 37 control subjects. RESULTS: p53 protein overexpression was identified only in patients with SDS and in patients with refractory anemia; these groups exhibited comparable prevalences of 78% and 72%, respectively. None of the patients with acquired aplastic anemia, acquired cytopenias, or in the control group showed overexpression of p53 protein. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of p53 protein overexpression in SDS is significantly different from that in acquired aplastic anemia and acquired cytopenias, but it is similar to the prevalence in refractory anemia. We speculate that p53 protein overexpression in this bone marrow failure syndrome may represent an early indicator of significant DNA genetic alteration, which is a crucial step in the process of leukemogenesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of refractory anemias without excess of blasts in myelodysplastic syndromes.

To determine the efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin at pharmacological doses in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) without excess of blasts, 20 patients with refractory anemias (RA) or refractory anemias with ring sideroblasts (RARS) were treated in an open study with escalating doses from 40 U/kg to 300 U/kg three times a week subcutaneously during a period of 3 months. Maintenance therapy at the lowest effective dose was continued in responders. A dose response of CFU-E and BFU-E to Epo was analysed at the entry. Bone marrow examination with an in vitro study of hematopoietic progenitors was performed before and after the first three months. Seven of 20 patients responded: a total recovery was observed in 3 patients; one became transfusion independent and a reduction of 50% of the transfusion requirement was achieved in 3 others. 3 patients are still receiving treatment for 2, 3 and 4 years. No significant correlation was found between the in vitro and clinical response. A non parametric analysis of responders and non responders emphasised the importance of a long delay between the diagnosis and the treatment, (p = 0.024) and an endogenous Epo level less than 100 mU/ml (p = 0.025) in order to predict the efficacy of rhEpo. This study offers evidence that patients with refractory anemias without excess of blasts in the bone marrow respond to rhEpo at pharmacological doses. Larger studies are required in order to define the patients who may respond and to elucidate the mechanism of the positive effect of rhEpo.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Antioxidant activity of blood serum amd erythrocytes in patients with refractory anemia].

Iron metabolism was studied in patients with refractory anemia. It is shown that continuous transfusions of erythrocytes result in a sharp rise of iron reserves that plays an important role in the development of hemosiderosis. To prevent iron oxidative action it is recommended that the patients should be subjected to therapy with chelating agents and antioxidants simultaneously with transfusions of erythrocytes. A relationship has been noted between blood antioxidant capacity decrease and iron-overloading.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Improvement of bleeding tendency and normalized platelet count increment following splenectomy in a patient with refractory anemia].

A 72-year-old woman with refractory anemia had severe bleeding tendency. Since 1994, platelet transfusions (10 units three times per week) were unable to maintaining her platelet count over 10 x 10(3)/ microliter. Her hemoglobin was decreased to 3.9 g/dl as a result of bleeding from early gastric cancer. At one-hour after posttransfusion corrected platelet count increment (1-hour CCI) was slightly low, as 14 x 10(3)/microliter/m2. A 24-hour posttransfusion CCI (24-hour CCI) and the (24-hour CCI)/(1-hour CCI) ratio were markedly low, as 0.5/microliter/m2 and 0.36, respectively. Anti-HLA antibody was not detected. The ineffectiveness of platelet transfusion was suspected to be highly associated with splenomegaly. Her spleen had been gradually increased in size since the first clinical examination. She underwent both subtotal gastrectomy and splenectomy, while receiving 40 units of platelet transfusion. After splenectomy, the 1-hour CCI and the (1-hour CCI)/(24-hour CCI) ratio markedly improved (76 x 10(3)/microliter/m2 and 0.79, respectively). Cutaneous bleeding halted and there have been no further episodes, despite less frequent platelet transfusions. This is the first report in which bleeding tendency and CCI were improved by splenectomy in a case of myelodysplastic syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Analysis of leukocyte differentiation antigens in blood and bone marrow from preleukemia (refractory anemia) patients using monoclonal antibodies.

Peripheral blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells from patients with refractory anemia (RA) or RA with sideroblasts (defined according to the revised French-American-British classification with less than 5% blast cells in the bone marrow) were analyzed using a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against leukocyte antigens on B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, monocytes, and myeloid cells. In the peripheral blood an increased proportion of T lymphocytes (and correspondingly a decreased proportion of B cells) could be demonstrated. However, when expressed in terms of absolute numbers, the T cell component was depressed because of severely decreased numbers of T4+ helper cells. In contrast, the absolute numbers of T8+ suppressor cells were either normal or increased in the majority of the patients. This resulted in markedly decreased ratios of T4+/T8+ cells, which were closely correlated to the number of transfusions given to the patients because of their refractory anemia. Finally, nearly all of the patients exhibited decreased numbers of cells reactive with the N901 natural killer (NK) antibody, thus explaining our earlier finding of decreased NK activity in these patients. In the bone marrow increased proportions of myeloid cells reactive with monoclonal antibodies present on immature myeloid cells (My7 and My9) were found, suggesting the presence of malignant clones. Indeed, when the numbers of My7+ cells and the morphologic evaluations of bone marrow smears at the time of diagnosis were compared to the progression of the disease, a group of patients with high numbers of My7+ cells and normal morphology could be identified that had a high probability of progression to refractory anemia with an excess of blasts or to overt acute myeloid leukemia. Thus, the use of antibodies defining leukocyte differentiation antigens might be of significant value in the diagnosis and prognostication of the myelodysplastic syndromes. These findings are discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of this potentially premalignant condition with special emphasis on possible defects in the immunologic defense mechanisms against early neoplasias.

Anemia, Refractory↗
PubMed1989

Systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with refractory anemia.

A 69-year-old man was diagnosed as having refractory anemia (RA), accompanied by pancytopenia of two years' duration, myelodysplasia in all three cell lines, abnormal karyotype of 46, XY, 20q--in bone marrow cells, and positive antinuclear and DNA antibody tests. One year after his first visit, he developed arthritis and maculopapular erythematous rashes. The histologic features of the skin lesions were similar to those of in discoid lupus erythematosus. He was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus supervening refractory anemia.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Complex chromosomal abnormalities in a patient with refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB).

We report a new case of refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) having complex chromosomal abnormalities. The 5q- associated with RAEB and other preleukemic syndromes was present in 100% of the cells; however, 60% of the cells had a highly unusual derivative chromosome involving the short arm of chromosome 1 and the long arm of chromosome 5, i.e., t(1;5)(p36;q14). Although the patient presented with highly complex chromosomal abnormalities, his initial clinical presentation was that of typical refractory anemia with excess blasts. Shortly after diagnosis (7 months), the patient developed acute leukemia.

Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts↗
PubMed1995

Late-onset X-linked sideroblastic anemia. Missense mutations in the erythroid delta-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS2) gene in two pyridoxine-responsive patients initially diagnosed with acquired refractory anemia and ringed sideroblasts.

X-linked sideroblastic anemia (XLSA) is caused by mutations of the erythroid-specific delta-aminolevulinate synthase gene (ALAS2) resulting in deficient heme synthesis. The characteristic hypochromic, microcytic anemia typically becomes manifest in the first three decades of life. Hematologic response to pyridoxine is variable and rarely complete. We report two unrelated cases of highly pyridoxine-responsive XLSA in geriatric patients previously diagnosed with refractory anemia and ringed sideroblasts. A previously unaffected 77-yr-old male and an 81-yr-old female were each found to have developed severe hypochromic, microcytic anemia with ringed sideroblasts in the bone marrow, which responded dramatically to pyridoxine with normalization of hemoglobin values. Sequence analysis identified an A to C transversion in exon 7 (K299Q) of the ALAS2 gene in the male proband and his daughter. In the female proband a G to A transition was identified in exon 5 (A172T). This mutation resulted in decreased in vitro stability of bone marrow delta-aminolevulinate synthase activity. Each patient's recombinant mutant ALAS2 enzyme had marked thermolability. Addition of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in vitro stabilized the mutant enzymes, consistent with the observed dramatic response to pyridoxine in vivo. This late-onset form of XLSA can be distinguished from refractory anemia and ringed sideroblasts by microcytosis, pyridoxine-responsiveness, and ALAS2 mutations. These findings emphasize the need to consider all elderly patients with microcytic sideroblastic anemia as candidates for XLSA, especially if pyridoxine responsiveness is demonstrated.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗