Clonal hematopoiesis in acquired aplastic anemia revealed by rearrangementof the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene-JH region

We report on a female patient with acquired aplastic anemia whose bone marr ow cells showed DNA rearrangement of the immunoglobulin-JH region that disa ppeared after 1 month with recovery of hematopoiesis through treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and immunosuppressive drugs. The patient is now 2 years and 6 months from onset, and her hematopoiesis is almost within normal limits without medication. This finding provides ne w data supporting clonal hematopoiesis in acquired aplastic anemia but does not imply that the disease is resistant to immunosuppressive therapy. (C) 1999 The Japanese Society of Hematology.