Identification of high-risk patients with aplastic anaemia in selection for allogeneic 0one-marrow transplantation.

Of 75 patients with asplastic anaemia treated between 1968 and 1975, 33 were retrospectively considered as potential candidates for allogenegic bone-marrow transplantation on the basis of their age and severity of marrow failure. The prognosis of these patients with conservative treatment was assessed from parameters obtained at the time of the initial diagnosis. Initial peripheral-blood granulocyte or platelet concentrations were not of porgnostic value. In contrast, initial reticulocyte concentrations, allowed separation of the patients into two groups with poor and good prognosis. Low initial reticulocyte concentrations (less than 10 000/mu1) indicated those patients at extremely high risk of succumbing to their marrow aplasia (there were no survivors 36 months after disgnosis). In contrast, 75% of those patients with more than 10 000 reticulocytes per mu1 at diagnosis survived for 3 years. Initial peripheral-blood reticulocyte concentrations thus appear to indicate the extent of the marrow failure in aplastic anaemia more accurately than granulocytes or platelets. Low initial reticulocyte concentrations may indicate, among patients with severe aplastic anaemia, those for whom allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation should be seriously considered; patients with higher initial reticulocyte concentrations may benefit from conservation treatment.