EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF DISEASE-RELATED ANEMIA IN B-CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA PATIENTS WITH RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN

Nine B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) patients suffering from a naemia, due to no obvious cause except their disease, were treated wit h recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO). The treatment protocol p rovided a closed label phase of 3 months duration, during which the pa tients received r-HuEPO or placebo in a ratio of 2:1, followed by an o pen label phase, also of 3 months duration, during which r-KuEPO was a dministered to all patients three times a week s.c. r-HuEPO was given at a dose of 150 U/kg of body weight with an escalation of 50 U/kg up to a maximum of 300 U/kg three times a week. Complete response was ach ieved in 5/9 (55%) patients and partial response in 3/9 (33%). The res ponse obtained was independent of the pretreatment serum EPO levels, t he duration of anaemia, the concomitant administration of chemotherapy , the presence of splenomegaly, or the degree of bone marrow infiltrat ion by lymphocytes. It appears that r-HuEPO is very effective in rever sing the disease-related anaemia of B-CLL patients,