[Treatment of severe aplastic anemia]

58 patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) were treated and evaluated in a prospective study either by bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or by antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). 19 patients were treated with BMT; 9 are still alive 6 months to 5 years after BMT (47%). 39 patients were treated with ALG; 28 are alive 5 months to 5 years after ALG (72%). 24 of these 28 are self-sustaining and in remission. The results show that treatment with ALG is probably superior to treatment with BMT, and also demonstrate that most patients with SAA have a pool of hematopoietic stem cells able to repopulate the marrow after this type of treatment.