[Residual hematopoiesis is an important prognostic factor of immunosuppressive therapy in severe aplastic anemia]

To evaluate the prognostic value of residual bone marrow hematopoiesis in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients with immunosuppressive therapy (IST).

Clinical data and hematologic responses of 38 SAA patients treated with IST regimen (antithymocyte globulin combined with cyclosporine) in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Correlation of pre-IST baseline reticulocyte (Ret), absolute neutrophils count (ANC), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentration, corrected TPO value and hematologic response rate were statistically analyzed and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the value of Ret, ANC, sTfR, and corrected TPO in predicting early IST response.

Responders to IST had significantly higher pre-IST baseline Ret, ANC, sTfR concentration [19.9(2.7-84.4)×10⁹/L, 0.59(0.12-2.67)×10⁹/L, 0.82(0.22-1.58) mg/L] and lower corrected TPO value [142.9(31.8-1 035.0)] than non-responders [5.1(1.5-23.1)×10⁹/L, 0.20(0.04-1.33)×10⁹/L, 0.45(0.19-0.72)mg/L and 2 335.0(1 308.3-7 771.2)](P<0.05). Optimizing parameter cutoff levels obtained from ROC curve was Ret 6.75×109/L, ANC 0.30×109/L, sTfR 0.76 mg/L and corrected TPO 148.6, respectively. Combining the four parameters to predict 6 month hemotologic response showed that all the 7 patients with high Ret, ANC, sTfR and low corrected TPO, while only 1 among those 9 with low Ret, ANC, sTfR and high corrected TPO.

Such parameters evaluating residual bone marrow hematopoiesis as Ret, ANC, sTfR, corrected TPO are practical in predicting early IST response in SAA.