Oxymetholone Treatment in Hypoproliferative Anaemia¹

Abstract

45 patients with hypoproliferative or aregenerative anaemia were treated with oxymetholone, steroid an anabolic, androgenic steroid. Minimum treatment time accepted for entrance into the study was 3 months. Therapeutic effect was assessed by effect on bone marrow cellularity, haemoglobin concentration and granulocyte and platelet counts. Patients with a hypocellular marrow responded best. Of 18 cases, a partial remission was seen in 8 and a complete remission in 5. A complete remission was only seen in patients who did not have pancytopenia. Of the 7 patients with myelofibrosis, 4 had thrombocytopenia at the outset. Improvement after treatment was seen in all 4. The only serious side-effect that necessitated withdrawal of treatment was jaundice.

Alterations in Erythropoiesis Preceding Leukemia

“…Despite hypercellularity, the total erythroblast number was not significantly increased. Erythrocyte production and life span were both decreased, and erythroblast generation times were significantly longer than normal.Previous studies of patients with aregenerative anemia, or so-called aplastic anemia [1,9,12,14], suggest that some of these cases are of a pre leukemic nature. However, there are no unequivocal preleukemic stigmata; the literature has been reviewed by R eizenstein and L agerlof [9], There are few cytokinetic studies in man of the changes in the cellular growth patterns preceding malignancy.…”

The role of androgen therapy in acquired aplastic anemia and other bone marrow failure syndromes

“…Another multicenter trial recruited 45 patients with hypoproliferative or aregenerative anemia treated with oxymetholone for a minimum of 3 months. Patients with hypocellular marrow had the best response ( 12 ). In 1976, a prospective randomized clinical trial showed superiority of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation compared to standard of care, which included androgen therapy ( 5 ).…”

O uso de esteróides anabolizantes nos esportes

“…Efeitos adversos no fígado -Uma disfunção excretora do fígado que resulta em icterícia tem sido associada com o uso de esteróides anabolizantes em uma série de estudos terepêuticos [56][57][58] . A possível relação causa-efeito desta associação é reforçada pela observação da remissão da icterícia após a interrupção do uso da droga 56,57 .…”