Anemia aplásica inducida por metimazol: presentación de caso / Methimazole Induced Aplastic Anemia: Case Report / Anemia aplástica induzida por metimazol: relato de caso

Introducción: los medicamentos antitiroideos son una de las alternativas terapéuticas en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Graves. Sin embargo, pueden generar efectos adversos severos poco frecuentes en el plano hematológico, como la anemia aplásica, la cual se ha asociado con altas dosis de estos medicamentos, aunque con reversión de esta afección ante el retiro del medicamento. Descripción del caso: mujer de 38 años con antecedente de enfermedad de Graves en tratamiento con metimazol, quien consultó por síntomas como epistaxis anterior de difícil control, petequias, astenia e hiporexia. Se documentó pancitopenia en el hemo-grama, con posterior hallazgo en biopsia de médula ósea de aplasia medular, sin respuesta ante el retiro del metimazol y soporte transfusional. Posteriormente, la paciente falleció. Conclusión: la presentación de aplasia medular asociada con metimazol es poco común y se relaciona con altas dosis de este medicamento. En la mayoría de casos, el retiro de este agente genera recuperación clínica y celular. No obstante, en algu-nos pacientes persiste el compromiso hematológico que va desde importantes repercusiones clínicas hasta desenlaces fatales. Por lo tanto, el presente caso busca hace hincapié en la importancia de vigilar este efecto adverso ante el inicio de esta medicación

Introduction: Antithyroid drugs are one of the therapeutic alternatives in the treatment of Graves' dis-ease. However, it can generate severe but infrequent adverse effects at the hematological level, such as aplastic anemia, which has been associated with high doses of these drugs, although with reversal of this hematological condition when the drug is withdrawn. Case description: A 38-year-old woman with a his-tory of Graves' disease treated with methimazole, who consult for symptoms such as anterior epistaxis, petechiae, asthenia, and hyporexia. Pancytopenia is documented in the blood count, with a subsequent finding of bone marrow aplasia in bone marrow biopsy, without response to withdrawal of Methimazole and transfusion support. The patient subsequently died. Conclusion: The methimazole-associated bone marrow aplasia is uncommon and it ́s associated with high doses of methimazole, in most cases with-drawal of methimazole leads to clinical and cellular recovery. However, in some patients hematological involvement persists with significant clinical repercussions up to fatal outcomes. Therefore, this case seeks to highlight the importance of monitoring for this adverse effect before starting this medication

Introdução: as drogas antitireoidianas são uma das alternativas terapêuticas no tratamento da doença de Graves. No entanto, pode causar efeitos adversos graves, mas infrequentes, no nível hematológico, como a anemia aplástica, que tem sido associada a altas doses desses medicamentos, embora com rever-são desse quadro hematológico quando a droga é retirada. Descrição do caso: mulher de 38 anos com história de doença de Graves tratada com metimazol, que consultou por sintomas como epistaxe ante-rior de difícil controle, petéquias, astenia e hiporexia. A pancitopenia é documentada no hemograma, com achado posterior de aplasia da medula óssea na biópsia da medula óssea, sem resposta à retirada do metimazol e suporte transfusional. O doente faleceu posteriormente. Conclusão: a apresentação de aplasia da medula óssea associada ao metimazol é pouco frequente em associação com doses elevadas de metimazol. Na maioria dos casos, a retirada do metimazol conduz à recuperação clínica e celular. No entanto, nalguns doentes, o envolvimento hematológico persiste com repercussões clínicas significati-vas, podendo mesmo ocorrer desfechos fatais. Assim, o presente caso pretende realçar a importância da monitorização deste efeito adverso antes de iniciar esta medicação

Analysis of Predictive Factors for Efficacy of Yiqi Yangxue Prescription Combined with Western Medicine in Treatment of Aplastic Anemia in Non-elderly Adults / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the predictive factors for the efficacy of Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with western medicine in treating aplastic anemia （AA） in non-elderly adults， so as to provide a reference for predicting the prognosis of this therapy. MethodA retrospective study was conducted with the clinical data of non-elderly adult AA patients who visited 19 hospitals including Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021 and were treated with Yiqi Yangxue Prescription combined with western medicine. According to the efficacy evaluation results at the 6th month of treatment， the patients were assigned into effective and ineffective groups. The two groups were compared in terms of the gender， age， disease classification ［non-severe aplastic anemia （NSAA）/severe aplastic anemia （SAA）］， course of disease， family history， complications， history of drug allergy， baseline blood routine examination ［hemoglobin （HGB）， white blood cell （WBC）， neutrophil （ANC）， platelet （PLT）， and reticulocyte （Ret）］， T lymphocyte subsets， degree of proliferation of nucleated cells in bone marrow， and expression of T-bet and GATA-3. ResultA total of 101 non-elderly adult AA patients were enrolled in this study， including 81 in the effective group and 20 in the ineffective group. The effective group had a higher proportion of the patients without a history of drug allergy than the ineffective group （P<0.05）. The body height， body weight， gender， age， disease classification， course of disease， family history， and complications showed no significant differences between two groups. The effective group had higher levels of ANC and PLT before treatment （P<0.05） and higher proportion of patients with ANC≥1.6×109/L and PLT≥25×109/L （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the ineffective group. The baseline levels of WBC， HGB， and Ret showed no significant statistical differences between two groups. The levels of CD3+HLA-DR+T cells in the effective group before treatment was higher than that in the ineffective group （P<0.05）. The levels of CD3+CD19-T cells， CD4+T cells， CD8+T cells， Th1 cells， Th2 cells， and CD3+CD25+T cells showed no significant statistical differences between two groups before treatment. The proportion of patients with active bone marrow nucleated cells proliferation in the effective group before treatment were significantly higher than that in the ineffective group, while the proportion of patients with reduced or extremely reduced proliferation were significantly lower than that in the ineffective group （P<0.05）. The expression levels of T-bet and GATA-3 genes had no significant differences between two groups before treatment. The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the ANC level before treatment and history of drug allergy were independent influencing factors for efficacy （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while other indicators were not influencing factors for efficacy. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was applied to analyze the predictive value of the ANC level before treatment in the treatment of AA in non-elderly adults with Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with western medicine. The area under the curve was 0.679 （P<0.05）， with the critical value of 1.595×109/L， the sensitivity of 0.42， and the specificity of 0.95. ConclusionThe history of drug allergy， pre-treatment ANC， PLT， CD3+HLA-DR+ T cell levels， and proliferation of nucleated cells in bone marrow before treatment are predictive factors for the efficacy of Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with western medicine in treating AA in non-elderly adults. This therapy tends to be more effective for the patients with no history of drug allergy， higher ANC and PLT levels before treatment， especially those with ANC≥1.6×109/L， PLT≥25×109/L， and higher CD3+ HLA-DR+T cell levels and the more active proliferation of nucleated cells in bone marrow before treatment.

Evaluation of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in patients with aplastic anemia undergoing immunosuppressive therapy: a prospective cohort study (NICHE) / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) undergoing immunosuppressive therapy (IST) . Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we collected the demographic and clinical data of patients with AA and COVID-19 from December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. We described the clinical features of COVID-19 among patients with AA and evaluated the effects of IST on the signs and severity of COVID-19. Results: A total of 170 patients with AA and COVID-19 were included. The common early symptoms, including fever, dizziness or headache, muscle or body aches, and sore throat, disappeared within 1-2 weeks. Approximately 25% of the patients had persistent fatigue within 2 weeks. Many patients experienced cough after an initial 1-3 days of infection, which lasted for more than 2 weeks. There were no differences in the duration of total fever episodes and maximum body temperature when patients were stratified according to whether or not they underwent IST, by IST duration, or by use of anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG) (P>0.05). No differences were observed in the occurrence of symptoms in either the early or recovery stages when patients with AA were stratified according to whether or not they underwent IST, or by IST duration (P>0.05). However, patients who received ALG had fewer fever episodes within 1 week after infection (P=0.035) and more sore throat episodes within 2 weeks after infection (P=0.015). There were no other significant differences in clinical symptoms between patients who did and patients who did not receive ALG (P>0.05) . Conclusion: The majority of patients with AA and COVID-19 recovered within 2 weeks of noticing symptoms when treated with IST.

Efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of 28 patients with hepatitis-related aplastic anemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for hepatitis-related aplastic anemia (HRAA) patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia patients who received haplo-HSCT at our center between January 2012 and June 2022. October 30, 2022 was the final date of follow-up. Results: This study included 28 HRAA patients receiving allo-HSCT, including 18 males (64.3% ) and 10 females (35.7% ), with a median age of 25.5 (9-44) years. About 17 cases of severe aplastic anemia (SAA), 10 cases of very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA), and 1 case of transfusion-dependent aplastic anemia (TD-NSAA) were identified. Among 28 patients, 15 patients received haplo-HSCT, and 13 received MSD-HSCT. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate, the 2-year failure-free survival (FFS) rate, the 2-year transplant-related mortality (TRM) rate, the 100-day grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) cumulative incidence rate, and the 2-year chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) cumulative incidence rate were 81.4%, 81.4% (95% CI 10.5% -20.6% ), 14.6% (95% CI 5.7% -34.3% ), 25.0% (95% CI 12.8% -45.4% ), and 4.2% (95% CI 0.6% -25.4% ), respectively. After transplantation, all patients had no significant liver function damage. Compared with the MSD-HSCT group, only the incidence of cytomegaloviremia was significantly higher in the haplo-HSCT group [60.0% (95% CI 35.2% -84.8% ) vs 7.7% (95% CI 0-22.2% ), P=0.004]. No statistically significant difference in the Epstein-Barr virus was found in the 2-year OS, 2-year FFS, 2-year TRM, and 100-day grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD cumulative incidence rates and 2-year cGVHD cumulative incidence rate. Conclusion: Allo-HSCT is safe and effective for HRAA, and haplo-HSCT can be used as a safe and effective alternative for newly diagnosed HRAA patients who cannot obtain HLA-matched sibling donors.

Efficacy and safety of eltrombopag combined with immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia：a meta-analysis / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag combined with immunosuppressive therapy （IST） for severe aplastic anemia （SAA）， and to provide evidence-based basis for clinical treatment of SAA. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， Embase， Cochrane Library， ClinicalTrials.gov， VIP， CNKI and Wanfang data， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） and cohort studies about eltrombopag combined with IST （trial group） versus IST alone （control group） were collected from the inception to May 2023. After data extraction and quality evaluation （Cochrane manual 5.1.0） of included studies， meta-analysis， subgroup analysis， sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis were performed by using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 12 studies were screened， including 1 344 patients. Compared with control group， objective remission rate （ORR） （RR＝1.34， 95%CI was 1.06-1.69， P＝0.01） and complete response rate （CRR） （RR＝1.88， 95%CI was 1.31-2.71， P＝ 0.000 6） at 3 months， ORR （RR＝1.33，95%CI was 1.23-1.43， P＜0.000 01） and CRR （RR＝1.88，95%CI was 1.57-2.25，P＜0.000 01） at 6 months were significantly increased in trial group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in ORR （RR＝0.99， 95%CI was 0.82-1.18， P＝0.88） and CRR （RR＝1.02， 95%CI was 0.78-1.34， P＝0.87） at 12 months， two-year overall survival （OS） rate （HR＝0.61， 95%CI was 0.31-1.22， P＝0.17）， two-year event-free survival （EFS） rate （HR＝0.81， 95%CI was 0.61-1.07， P＝0.14）， clone evolution rate（RR＝1.01， 95%CI was 0.51-2.00， P＝ 0.98） or the incidence of adverse drug reactions such as liver/renal insufficiency， rash （P＞0.05）. Results of subgroup analysis showed that ORR and CRR of trial group at 6 months were higher than those of the control group in RCT and the cohort study subgroups （P＜0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in the two-year OS rate， two-year EFS rate or clone evolution rate between trial group and control group in the two subgroups （P＞0.05）. The results of sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis showed that the results of this study were robust and the possibility of publication bias was small. CONCLUSIONS The addition of eltrombopag in the IST regimen of SAA can improve the early hematological remission rate of patients， has no significant impact on short-term survival， and will not increase the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and clonal evolution.

Melatonin-Mediated Inhibitory Effect on Hyperimmune Status of Acquired Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the expression level of melatonin and its effects on immune function in aplastic anemia (AA) patients.@*METHODS@#The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the plasma levels of melatonin in AA patients, and the correlation between melatonin levels and laboratory indexs was analyzed. The activation, proliferation, and apoptosis of T cells from AA patients were analyzed by flow cytometry with or without melatonin in vitro.@*RESULTS@#The plasma levels of melatonin in AA patients were significantly lower compared with healthy controls (HC) (12.23 pg/ml vs 20.04 pg/ml, P < 0.01), while the plasma melatonin levels of AA patients in remission group after immunosuppressive therapy (IST) were significantly higher than those in non-remission group (29.16 pg/ml vs 11.73 pg/ml, P =0.04). Moreover, the melatonin levels were positively correlated with platelets (r =0.49), the absolute reticulocyte count (r =0.45), and the percentage of neutrophils (r =0.43). Meanwhile, there was a negative correlation between melatonin levels and the percentages of lymphocytes (r =-0.45). The expressions of CD25 and CD69 in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from AA patients were remarkably inhibited by melatonin in vitro (all P < 0.05). When cultured with melatonin, the proliferation rates of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from AA patients were markedly suppressed (P =0.01 andP < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The plasma levels of melatonin were decreased in AA patients, which might play an important role in the mechanism of immunological abnormalities. The hyperimmune status of AA patients could be partially ameliorated by melatonin in vitro.

Treatment of severe aplastic anemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 器官移植

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a severe bone marrow failure syndrome caused by multiple causes, which is clinically manifested with severe anemia, infection and bleeding. The complex pathogenesis of SAA has not been fully understood. SAA is characterized with acute onset, severe disease condition and rapid progression. At present, with the in-depth study of SAA and the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the therapeutic strategy for SAA has been evolved from classical immunosuppressive therapy based on antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine to the application of thrombopoietin receptor agonist and combined treatment based on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which may promote the reconstruction of hematopoietic function of SAA patients to varying degree and significantly improve survival and clinical prognosis, becoming the research hotspot of SAA treatment. In this article, new advances in the treatment of SAA at home and abroad were reviewed.

Effect of miR-125b on T Cell Activation in Aplastic Anemia by Targetting B7-H4 / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of miR-125b on T cell activation in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and its molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#A total of 30 AA patients were enrolled in department of hematology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital from January 2018 to October 2021, as well as 15 healthy individuals as healthy control (HC) group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated, in which the levels of miR-125b and B7-H4 mRNA were detected by RT-qPCR. Immunomagnetic beads were used to separate naive T cells and non-naive T cells from AA patients and healthy people to detect the levels of miR-125b and B7-H4 mRNA. Lentivirus LV-NC inhibitor and LV-miR-125b inhibitor were transfected into cells, and T cell activation was detected by flow cytometry. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to detect the targetting relationship between miR-125b and B7-H4. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the levels of miR-125b, CD40L, ICOS, IL-10 mRNA and B7-H4 protein.@*RESULTS@#Compared with HC group, the expression of miR-125b was up-regulated but B7-H4 mRNA was down-regulated in PBMCs of AA patients (P <0.05), and the proportions of CD4+CD69+ T cells and CD8+CD69+ T cells in PBMCs of AA patients were higher (P <0.05). The expression of miR-125b was significantly up-regulated but B7-H4 mRNA was down-regulated in both naive T cells and non-naive T cells of AA patients (P <0.05), and non-naive T cells was more significant than naive T cells (P <0.05). Compared with NC inhibitor group, the expression of miR-125b was significantly decreased, the expression level of CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in PBMCs was also significantly decreased, while the luciferase activity was significantly increased after co-transfection of miR-125b inhibitor and B7-H4-3'UTR-WT in the miR-125b inhibitor group (P <0.05). Compared with NC inhibitor group, the mRNA and protein levels of B7-H4 were significantly increased in the miR-125b inhibitor group (P <0.05). Compared with miR-125b inhibitor+shRNA group, the expression levels of CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly increased, and the levels of CD40L, ICOS and IL-10 mRNA were also significantly increased in the miR-125b inhibitor+sh-B7-H4 group (P <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#MiR-125b may promote T cell activation by targetting B7-H4 in AA patients.

Effect of Eltrombopag on Response to Immunosuppressive Therapy in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent Non-Severe Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of eltrombopag combined with cyclosporine A (CsA) and CsA alone in patients with transfusion-dependent non-severe aplastic anemia (TD-NSAA).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 76 patients with treatment-naive TD-NSAA in Ningde Municipal Hospital of Ningde Normal University and Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from December 2017 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 45 cases were treated with eltrombopag combined with CsA, and 31 patients with compatible baseline characters were treated with CsA alone. The efficacy of patients between the two groups was compared, and the factors affecting the curative effects were also analyzed.@*RESULTS@#There were significant differences in hematological response (HR) and complete response(CR) rates between the two groups at 3, 6, 12 months, and follow-up endpoint of treatment (P<0.05). With the prolongation of eltrombopag treatment time, the curative effect increased gradually, and the patients achieved more CR and HR rates by the end of the follow-up period. Simultaneously, with the increase in the maximum stable dose of eltrombopag, the HR rate increased gradually. The megakaryocyte count in eltrombopag group was higher than that in control at 6 and 12 months (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the median time of platelet transfusion independence in eltrombopag group was more shorter (P=0.018), and the median platelets transfusion volume was lower (P=0.009). At 3, 6, 12 months after eltrombopag, the change of platelet in eltrombopag group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Analysis of related factors affecting the efficacy showed that sex, age, iron overload, platelet count before treatment had no effect on the efficacy, and the median maximum stable dosage and the administration period for eltrombopag were related to the curative effect. The patients of eltrombopag group experienced adverse events of varying degrees, but the reactions were mild and mostly tolerated.@*CONCLUSION@#Eltrombopag can effectively improve the hematopoietic response and promote platelet recovery for TD-NSAA patients with relatively more residual hematopoietic cells, and it is safe and well tolerated.

The Characteristics of T Lymphocyte Reconstitution after Haploid Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in SAA and Its Relationship with aGVHD / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the recovery characteristics of T cell subsets in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who received haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT) and its relationship with acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 29 SAA patients who received haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the department of hematology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital from June 2018 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The absolute counts of CD3+T, CD4+T, CD8+T lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+T/CD8+T lymphocytes in all patients before transplantation, 14, 21, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after transplantation were analyzed. The proportion of T lymphocytes was compared in the non-aGVHD group, the grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ aGVHD group and the grade III-IV aGVHD group.@*RESULTS@#The counts of all T cells in 27 patients were far below the normal level at 14 and 21 days after transplantation, but there was obvious heterogeneity. There was a certain relationship between T cell immune reconstitution and conditioning regimen, age, and immunosuppressive treatment before transplantation. CD3+T cells showed a steady upward trend at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after transplantation, and returned to the normal levels at 120 days after transplantation; faster recovery of CD4+T cells was closely related to aGVHD, which was at 30, 60, 90, 120 days after transplantation showed a slow upward trend, and which was still far below the normal level of 120 days after transplantation. CD8+T cell counts began to recover at 14 and 21 days after transplantation, and the recovery was earlier than the CD4+T cells, and its recovery speed was rapid 30 and 60 days after transptantation, which showed an upward trend and exceeded the normal levels 90 days after transplantation. Since CD8+ T cells reconstituted quickly, while the CD4+ T cells reconstitution was slowly, which made the long-term CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio after transplantation was inverted . Compared with the non-aGVHD group, the absolute counts of CD3+T, CD4+T, and CD8+T cells in the aGVHD group were significantly higher than those in the non-aGVHD group at each time period after transplantation. In the aGVHD group, grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD occurred more frequently in the early post-transplantation period (within 14-21 days), the grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ aGVHD group mostly occurred within 30-90 days after transplantation, and CD3+T, CD4+T, CD8+T cell counts in the grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD group were significantly higher than those in the grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ aGVHD group; and the greater the proportion of CD4+T, the more severe the degree of aGVHD.@*CONCLUSION@#The speed of T cell immune reconstitution after SAA haploid transplantation is different, which is related to the conditioning regimen, age, and immunosuppressive therapy before transplantation. The rapid recovery of CD4+ T cells is closely related to the occurrence of aGVHD.

Effects of FAC combined with Bu conditioning for SAA patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To observe the effects of FAC combined with Bu conditioning for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 【Methods】 The data of 28 SAA patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in our hospital from January 2016 to September 2021 were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: FAC conditioning group and FAC + Bu conditioning group. We observed the side effects of conditioning regimen, hematopoietic recovery, acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD), viral infection, incidence of venous obstructive disease (VOD), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). 【Results】 There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, gender, physical condition, history of disease, gender relationship between donors and recipients, transplantation type, infusion of bone marrow nucleated cells, MNC or CD34 positive cells (P>0.05). Compared with those in FAC group, the side effects of auditory hallucination and visual hallucination in FAC + Bu group increased, the incidence of mixed chimerism decreased, the time of platelet reconstruction shortened, the incidence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD increased. However, 3-year PFS or OS did not significantly differ between the two groups. 【Conclusion】 FAC combined with Bu conditioning regimen promotes implantation and reduces mixed chimerism. However, it does not improve patients’ overall survival.

Bushen Jianpi Prescription Regulates Autophagy in Patients with Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Bushen Jianpi prescription on the autophagy and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway in the patients with aplastic anemia （AA）. MethodA total of 30 AA patients admitted to Xiyuan Hospital and 6 healthy donors who were prepared to undergo peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 304 Hospital from September 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled and assigned into an AA group and a control group. The AA group was treated with Bushen Jianpi prescription combined with cyclosporin A （CsA） and androgen for 3 months. The mononuclear cells from bone marrow in the AA group before and after treatment and the peripheral blood of the control group were collected. Transmission electron microscopy was then employed to detect autophagosomes. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of microtuble-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅰ， LC3Ⅱ， mTOR， phosphorylated （p）-mTOR， Akt， p-Akt， PI3K， and p-PI3K， and real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） to determine the mRNA levels of LC3， mTOR， Akt， and PI3K. ResultIn the AA group， the treatment was completed in 29 patients， and the total response rate was 51.72% （15/29）. ① The AA group showed lower levels of white blood cell （WBC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， platelet （PLT）， and absolute neutrophil count （ANC） in the peripheral blood （P<0.01） and lower number of intracellular autophagosomes than the control group before treatment. Moreover， the AA group showed lower mRNA level of LC3 （P<0.01） and protein levels of LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ （P<0.01） and higher mRNA levels of mTOR， Akt， and PI3Kα （P<0.01） and protein levels of Akt， p-Akt， PI3K， p-PI3K， mTOR， and p-mTOR （P<0.01） than the control group. ② In AA group， the levels of HGB and PLT elevated （P<0.05） and the number of intracellular autophagosomes increased after treatment compared with those before treatment. Moreover， the mRNA level of LC3 and the protein levels of LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ were up-regulated （P<0.01）， the mRNA levels of mTOR， Akt， and PI3Kα （P<0.01） and the protein levels of Akt， p-PI3K （P<0.01）， p-Akt， PI3K， mTOR， p-mTOR （P<0.05） were down-regulated after treatment. ConclusionAA patients show lower autophagy levels， while Bushen Jianpi prescription can effectively improve the autophagy level and down-regulated the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in AA patients.

Comparison of Blood Routine Changes in Treatment of Aplastic Anemia by Kidney-tonifying and Blood-generating Method and Qi-promoting and Blood-nourishing Method and Mode of Treatment by Stages / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical effect of kidney-tonifying and blood-generating method and qi-promoting and blood-nourishing method combined with western medicine on the treatment of aplastic anemia and the characteristics of blood routine recovery， and to explore a new phased treatment model for aplastic anemia. MethodThis study was based on a prospective， multicenter， double-blind， and randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients with aplastic anemia from 19 centers were analyzed and divided into a kidney-tonifying and blood-generating group and a Qi-promoting and blood-nourishing group， which were treated with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） combined with western medicine. The clinical effect and the changes in blood routine in each group during treatment were evaluated. ResultDuring the observation period， 375 cases of aplastic anemia were included in two groups， and TCM syndrome differentiation conformed these cases as Qi-deficiency type and both Qi and blood-deficiency type. These cases were randomly divided into two groups， including 184 in the kidney-tonifying and blood-generating group and 191 in the Qi-promoting and blood-nourishing group， being treated by kidney-tonifying and blood-generating granules and Qi-promoting and blood-nourishing granules， respectively， and combined oral androgen and ciclosporin soft capsules. The treatment lasted for six months and was divided into three stages. Visits were conducted from the beginning of the treatment to the end of the first， fourth， and sixth months. The curative effect was evaluated six months later. The total effective rate of the kidney-tonifying and blood-generating group was 86.4% （159/184）， which was significantly better than that of the Qi-promoting and blood-nourishing group ［68.6% （131/191）， P<0.01）］. The results of the percentage quartile of blood cell growth in each stage of the 2 groups were analyzed. The hemoglobin concentration and platelet count of the patients in the kidney-invigorating blood group continued to increase after treatment, and significantly increased in the second and third stages compared with the first stage (P<0.05). The increase of reticulocyte count was most significant in the first stage of treatment (P<0.05). The reticulocyte count in supplementing Qi and nourishing blood group increased significantly in the first and second stages of treatment (P<0.05). The other observation indicators increased at each stage, but there was no statistical difference in the growth rate. The effects of the two groups were compared by stages. In the second stage of treatment, the increase of hemoglobin concentration in the kidney-invigorating blood group was better than that in the supplementing Qi-nourishing blood group (P<0.05). The increase of platelet count and red blood cell count in supplementing Qi and nourishing blood group was greater (P<0.05). In the third stage of treatment, the increase of hemoglobin concentration in the bushen Shengxue group was more significant (P<0.05). ConclusionThe overall effective rate of the kidney-tonifying and blood-generating method in the treatment of aplastic anemia is better than that of the Qi-promoting and blood-nourishing method， with significant effects and safety. This study has proposed a three-stage early treatment mode for aplastic anemia. The first and third stages (0-1, 5-6 months) were mainly treated by invigorating kidney and generating blood. In the second stage of treatment (2-4 months), invigorating kidney and generating blood combined with invigorating Qi and nourishing blood were adopted. It may be closer to the actual clinical treatment response and objective rule changes of aplastic anemia.

Early Efficacy Predictors of Bushen Shengxue Prescription Combined with Western Medicine in Treatment of Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive indicators of early efficacy of Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in the treatment of aplastic anemia， and provide prognosis indicators for the treatment of aplastic anemia （AA） with kidney-tonifying therapy in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） combined with western medicine. MethodA total of 126 patients treated by Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in 19 hospitals including Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021 were selected for a retrospective study. The therapy was proven to be effective after six months of treatment. According to the efficacy after 4 months of treatment， the patients were assigned into a 4-month effective group and a 4-month ineffective group. The age， sex， disease severity （including severe aplastic anemia and non-severe aplastic anemia）， course of disease， degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation， baseline hemogram levels ［including white blood cell count （WBC）， absolute neutrophil count （ANC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， platelets （PLT）， and reticulocytes （RET）］， T lymphocytes subsets， and the expression levels of T-box transcription factor （T-bet） and GATA-binding protein-3 （GATA-3） were compared between the two groups before treatment. ResultThe proportions of patients within the age ranges of ［20， 40） and ［60， 80） were higher in the 4-month effective group （P<0.05）. The sex， disease severity， course of disease， and comorbidities had no significant differences between the two groups. The 4-month effective group had higher baseline levels of HGB， WBC， ANC， and PLT than the 4-month ineffective group （P<0.05）， and there was no significant difference in the RET level between the two groups before treatment. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the PLT level before treatment was an independent factor affecting the onset time， while other indicators did not affect the onset time. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was established to analyze the value of PLT level before treatment for predicting the onset time， and the area under the curve was 0.691. With the critical value of 40.5×109/L， the sensitivity and specificity of the prediction that the therapy will take effect within 4 months were 0.569 and 0.893， respectively. The two groups of patients were graded according to age ｛（14， 20）， ［20， 40）， ［40， 60）， and ［60， 80）｝ and PLT level before treatment （PLT<40×109/L， PLT≥40×109/L）. The proportion of the patients with PLT≥40×109/L before treatment in the 4-month effective group was significantly higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group （P<0.05）. The degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation before treatment had no significant difference between the two groups. The level of total T lymphocytes in the 4-month effective patients was lower than that in the 4-month ineffective patients before treatment （P<0.05）. The levels of Th1 cells， Th2 cells， CD4+ T cells， and CD8+ T cells showed no significant differences between the two groups before treatment. The T-bet expression level in the 4-month effective group was higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group before treatment （P<0.05）， while the expression level of GATA-3 showed no significant difference between the two groups before treatment. ConclusionBushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine will achieve faster effect for the patients within the age ranges of ［20， 40） or ［40， 60）， with higher levels of HGB， WBC， ANC， and PLT （especially those with PLT≥40×109/L）， lower level of total T lymphocytes， or higher T-bet expression level before treatment.

Infección fúngica invasiva por Saprochaete capitata en un niño con aplasia medular / Invasive fungal infection by Saprochaete capitata in a child with bone marrow aplasia

RESUMEN Saprochaete capitata es una causa rara de infección fúngica invasiva en pacientes inmunocomprometidos con alta mortalidad y resistencia antifúngica. Presentamos el caso de un niño de cinco años con diagnóstico de aplasia medular, sometido a trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos (TPH), que cursó con neutropenia febril persistente, dolor abdominal intenso, aparición de lesiones maculopapulares en piel y deterioro de la función renal. Se identificó la presencia de S. capitata, en hemocultivos transcatéter venoso central. Esta infección fúngica invasiva resulta ser rara, pero emergente y potencialmente mortal, en pacientes con neutropenia febril persistente y uso prolongado de dispositivos invasivos intravasculares como catéter venoso central.

ABSTRACT Saprochaete capitata is a rare cause of invasive fungal infection in immunocompromised patients with high mortality and antifungal resistance. We present the case of a 5-year-old boy with bone marrow aplasia, who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and presented persistent febrile neutropenia, abdominal pain, appearance of maculopapular lesions on the skin, and impaired renal function. The presence of S. capitata was identified by blood culture from a central venous catheter. This invasive fungal infection is rare but emergent and life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised patients with persistent febrile neutropenia and prolonged use of invasive devices such as central venous catheters.

Childhood aplastic anaemia with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria clones: A retrospective single-centre study in South Africa

Background: Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) clones in children are rare but commonly associated with aplastic anaemia (AA) and myelodysplasia.Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PNH clones in paediatric patients with idiopathic AA, identify differences in clinical and laboratory features and outcomes, and determine the impact of clone size on clinical presentation.Methods: Patients with confirmed idiopathic AA who were tested for PNH between September 2013 and January 2018 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were included. PNH clones were detected in neutrophils and monocytes by flow cytometry using fluorescent aerolysin, CD24, CD66b and CD14. Results: Twenty-nine children with AA were identified and 11 were excluded. Ten patients (10/18, 55.6%) had PNH clones ranging from 0.11% to 24%. Compared to the PNH-negative group, these children were older (median: 10 years vs 4 years, p= 0.02) and had significantly lower total white cell counts (median 1.7 × 109/L vs 3.2 × 109/L; p= 0.04). There was no difference in median absolute neutrophil count or haemoglobin concentration. Four patients in each group received immunosuppressive therapy (IST). At six months, all four patients with PNH clones had responded, compared to one in the PNH-negative group. Conclusion: More than half of children with AA had a PNH clone. The size of the clone did not impact clinical severity; however, IST use may positively impact prognosis. We recommend early initiation of IST in patients with AA to avoid delays associated with human leukocyte antigen typing.

Treatment of Chronic Aplastic Anemia with Chinese Patent Medicine Pai-Neng-Da Capsule () for Replacing Androgen Partially: A Clinical Multi-Center Study / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Pai-Neng-Da Capsule (, panaxadiol saponins component, PNDC) in combination with the cyclosporine and androgen for patients with chronic aplastic anemia (CAA).@*METHODS@#A total of 79 CAA patients was randomly divided into 2 groups by a random number table, including PCA group [43 cases, orally PNDC 320 mg/d plus cyclosporine 5 mg/(kg·d) plus andriol 80 mg/d] and CA group [36 cases, orally cyclosporine 5 mg/(kg·d) plus andriol 160 mg/d]. All patients were treated and followed-up for 6 treatment courses over 24 weeks. The complete blood counts, score of Chinese medical (CM) symptoms were assessed and urine routine, electrocardiogram, hepatic and renal function were observed for safety evaluation. Female masculinization rating scale was established according to the actual clinical manifestations to evaluate the accurate degree of masculinization in female CAA patients treated by andriol.@*RESULTS@#The effective rates were 88.1% (37/42) in the PCA group and 77.8% (28/36) in the CA group based on the standard for the therapeutic efficacy evaluation of hematopathy. There was no significant difference in the white blood cell (WBC) counts, platelet counts and hemoglobin concentration of peripheral blood between two groups after 6 months treatment. The masculinization score of female patient in the PCA group was significantly lower than the CA group (P<0.05). The mild abdominal distention was observed in 1 cases in the PCA group. In CA group, the abnormalities in the hepatic function developed in 2 cases and the renal disfunction was found in 1 case.@*CONCLUSION@#The PNDC possesses certain curative effects in the treatment of CAA without obvious side-effects and can partially replace andriol thereby to reduce the degree of masculinization [Registried at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChicTR1900028153)].

Clinical features of five children with hepatitis-associated aplastic anaemia / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of hepatitis-associated aplastic anaemia(HAAA)in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, treatments and other clinical data of five children with aplastic anemia(AA)diagnosed by bone marrow examination after admission with acute liver dysfunction admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology, Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2016 to December 2020.Results:All five children were boys and the onset age of these children ranged from 2 to 13 years.All of the five cases were acute onset and presented with jaundice.The time frame of the diagnosis of HAAA was 0 to 12 weeks from the presentation of the liver disease.One patient had simultaneous onset of hepatitis and aplastic anemia.The liver function was significantly improved at the diagnosis of HAAA in three patients and worsen in one patient.Only one patient showed CMV-DNA positive and the pathogen results of other patients were negative.Lymphocyte immunity disorders were found in all five patients, and the proportion of inhibitory/cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CD3 + CD8 + ) increased.Two children received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, of which one died and one improved after transplantation.One child improved after treated with antithymocyteglobulin and cyclosporin.One child died due to severe infection.There was no significant improvement in one child treated with cyclosporine. Conclusion:HAAA should be alerted in acute hepatitis patients.Blood routine should be monitored even if liver function improves.Bone marrow tests are needed if patients have peripheral cytopenia in two or more lineages.Early and timely treatments with immunosuppressive therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the prognosis.

Progress in the treatment of acquired aplastic anemia in children / 国际儿科学杂志

Aplastic anemia(AA) is a bone marrow failure disease in which peripheral blood is reduced in two or three lines.Clinically, patients are at high risk of bleeding and infection, which may endanger their lives in serious cases.Due to the great differences in economic conditions, medical conditions and AA epidemiology in various regions around the world, there are many treatment methods for newly diagnosed, refractory / relapsed AA patients and their curative effects are different.Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, eltrombopag and tacrolimus are the research focuses in recent years.To facilitate clinicians to choose more appropriate treatments, this paper reviews the progress of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy and non-transplantation therapy in patients with AA.

Effect and Mechanism of Cxcr4 Gene-Modified BMSC-Derived Exosomes on Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the improvement effect of CXC chemokine receptor 4 (Cxcr4) gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)-derived exosomes on aplastic anemia (AA), and make a preliminary exploration of the mechanism.@*METHODS@#Mouse BMSCs were isolated and cultured, then infected by recombinant lentivirus carrying Cxcr4 gene. The expression of green fluorescence was observed through fluorescence microscope, the expression of Cxcr4 mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the BMSC-derived exosomes modified with Cxcr4 gene were extracted. Mouse models of AA were constructed, and control group, model group (AA), AA+BMSC group, AA+NC-BMSC group, AA+Cxcr4-BMSC group were set up. Except control group and model group, the other three groups of mice were injected 400 μl exosomes from different sources via the tail vein, after 2 weeks, the routine blood indices and the number of bone marrow nucleated cells were detected, the pathological changes of bone marrow were observed by HE staining, and the expression level of Treg cells was detected by flow cytometry.@*RESULTS@#Mouse BMSCs were successfully isolated, and BMSCs with high expression of Cxcr4 and their exosomes were obtained. Compared with the control group, the number of red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), and platelet (PLT), the hemoglobin (Hb) content and proportion of Treg cells in the peripheral blood of mice in the model group significantly decreased (P<0.01), as well as the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (P<0.01). The proliferation level of nucleated cells was low, and the medullary cavity was filled with a large number of fat cells. Compared with the model group, the number of RBC, WBC, PLT, the Hb content and proportion of Treg cells in the peripheral blood of mice in the AA+BMSC group, AA+NC-BMSC group, and AA+Cxcr4-BMSC group significantly increased (P<0.01), as well as the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (P<0.01), and pathological changes of bone marrow were improved. In addition, the number of RBC, WBC, PLT, the Hb content and proportion of Treg cells in the peripheral blood of mice in the AA+Cxcr4-BMSC group were significantly higher than those in the AA+BMSC group (P<0.01), as well as the number of bone marrow nucleated cells (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Injection of Cxcr4 gene-modified BMSC-derived exosomes has a certain improvement effect on AA mice, and the mechanism may be related to an increase of the proportion of Treg cells.