Erythropoietin plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is better than erythropoietin alone to treat anemia in low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes: results from a randomized single-centre study.

Haemopoietic growth factors (HGF), i.e. erythropoietin [recombinant human erythropoietin (rHEPO)] or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), alone or in combination, have largely been used to treat anemia in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but whether combined rHEPO and G-CSF is really superior to rHEPO alone is still under debate.

In vivo effects of thymustimulin on hematopoiesis of mice treated with cyclophosphamide.

This study reports on the in vivo effects of thymustimulin (TST), a thymic extract, on the hematopoiesis of mice treated with cyclophosphamide (CTX). Peripheral blood counts and both bone marrow pluripotent (spleen colony-forming units, CFU-S) and committed (granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units, CFU-GM; erythroid burst-forming units, BFU-E) hematopoietic progenitor cells were assayed by in vitro methods. Administration of CTX alone was associated with severe hemotoxicity, which was followed by a gradual recovery of hematopoiesis.

Subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin for the treatment of anemia in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) was administered subcutaneously to 13 anemic (Hb < 10 g/dl) patients with myelodysplasia (MDS). rhEPO was given 3 times a week at doses of 75-250 U/kg body weight, over a maximum period of 24 weeks. Five patients (38%) showed a response to rhEPO treatment.

High-dose cyclophosphamide followed by GM-CSF is a safe and effective procedure for the recruitment of trilineage circulating progenitor cells.

Background: Several methods for the recruitment of circulating progenitor cells (CPC) to be used for hemopoietic rescue after myeloablative therapy have been described. The present study was designed to verify the effectiveness and safeness of one of such procedures, involving the administration of high-dose cyclophosphamide (HD-CTX) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

Methods: Eight tumor patients were treated with HD-CTX (7 g/m2), followed by GM-CSF (7 mcg/Kg/day, continuous infusion) from day +2 to the completion of leukocyte recovery, when aphereses for CPC harvesting were performed.

In vivo hemopoietic activity of thymic extract 'Thymustimulin' in aged healthy humans.

The in vivo effects of the administration of Thymustimulin (TST), a bovine thymic extract, on the hemopoiesis of healthy elderly subjects were evaluated. Five healthy individuals over 70 years of age were treated with TST for one month. Before and at the end of TST treatment, peripheral blood cell counts were performed and the in vitro growth of peripheral blood erythroid (BFU-E) and granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) progenitor cells was assessed, together with the determination of T-lymphocyte subpopulations.