SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY PURE RED-CELL APLASIA BY BUSERELINACETATE

A 39-year-old female with autoimmune hemolytic anemia suffered from pu re red cell aplasia. She received immunosuppressive agents including p rednisolone, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide and methotrexate, resultin g in a little improvement of the anemia for only short term. Consequen tly, she required multiple red cell transfusions for 3 years. She rece ived buserelin acetate, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue. The reafter, the anemia dramatically improved. The direct effect of busere lin on hemopoietic progenitors was not detected in the in vitro cultur e study. It is most likely that buserelin enhanced erythropoiesis thro ugh the alteration of hormonal milieu. The usefulness of buserelin in the treatment of refractory pure red cell aplasia is discussed.