Thirteen patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis (5 osteomyelosclerosis) were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) for transfusion-dependent anemia. All but 7 patients were concomitantly treated with alpha interferon, and 5 patients also received a interferon before the start of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment. All but two patients became transfusion independent. The highly positive results of the present study of transfusion-dependent patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis calls for further studies to delineate more precisely in larger series those patients who are likely to respond to rHuEpo.
Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.