Treatment of aplastic anaemia (AA) with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) and methylprednisolone (MPred) with or without androgens: a randomized trial from the EBMT SAA working party.

134 patients with acquired aplastic anaemia (AA) were given HALG 15 mg/kg/d for 5 d and methylprednisolone for 1 month, and randomized to receive (n = 69) or not (n = 65) oxymetholone 2 mg/kg/d p.o. daily for 4 months. Early mortality (< 120 d) was comparable in the two arms 12/69 (17%) and 11/65 (17%), and correlated with the severity of the disease (39%, 10% and 6% respectively in patients with neutrophil counts (PMN) < 0.2, 0.2-0.5, > 0.5 x 10(9)/l). The response rate at 120 d was significantly greater in patients receiving androgens (56% v 40%; P = 0.04); it was 68% v 48% (P = 0.02) in patients surviving 120 d, and 78% v 27% (P = 0.03) in females with PMN less than 0.5 x 10(9)/l. In a multivariate Cox analysis on patients with less than 0.5 x 10(9)/l PMN, the probability of responding without androgens was reduced compared to the androgen treatment arm (P = 0.05). Survival was comparable in the two groups (71% v 65%). It was superior (74% v 50%), but not significantly (P = 0.1) in females with PMN < or = 0.5 x 10(9)/l receiving androgens. Side-effects, including biochemical abnormalities and virilization, could be controlled and were reversible. In conclusion, the addition of androgens to HALG and methylprednisolone as first line treatment of aplastic anaemia significantly improves the response rate at 4 months, particularly in females with low neutrophil counts, although there is no significant effect on short-term survival. The reversible side-effects warrant the use of androgens as an adjunct to the first course of ALG in females with severe AA.

[A comparative study of celiprolol and nicardipine in stable angina of effort]. / Efecto comparativo de celiprolol y nicardipina en angina de esfuerzo estable.

Seventeen patients with effort angina, a positive exercise test and at least one stenosed vessel in coronary angiography were studied. Following a crossover blind-design, each patient received at random either 400 mg/day oral celiprolol or 120 mg/day oral nicardipine. A treadmill exercise test and 24 hour Holter monitoring were accomplished at the end of each treatment period. Both drugs significantly prolonged exercise time and reduced maximum ST segment depression at similar stages of control testing. Nicardipine reduced resting diastolic blood pressure a mean of 18 mm Hg (p less than 0.005) and also systolic blood-pressure 11 mm Hg (p less than 0.005) while celiprolol only reduced systolic pressure 10 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). Resting heart-rate was lowered by celiprolol a mean of 9 beats/min (p less than 0.0001) while nicardipine slightly increased it. The double product at maximum effort decreased with celiprolol and increased with nicardipine. Six patients with 3 vessel disease continued having transient ischemic episodes during treatment with celiprolol and 5 had them with nicardipine. Both drugs were well tolerated by the patients. In conclusion celiprolol and nicardipine proved to be effective in the treatment of myocardial ischemia specially when coronary heart disease is not very advanced.