OBJECTIVETo probe a practical salvage strategy for relapse or failure patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) after allogenenic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HSCT).

METHODSThe clinical characteristics and initial treatments of allo-HSCT, and the responses of a novel salvage therapy of cyclosporine alternately combined with levamisole (CsA & LMS regimen) plus danazol (DNZ) in 2 patients were reviewed and evaluated.

RESULTS(1) Patient 1 achieved partial response (PR) at 3 months and complete response (CR) at 6 months after CsA & LMS regimen, respectively; Patient 2 also achieved PR 3 months and nearly CR at 6 months after the salvage therapy, respectively. (2) Increased numbers of T regulatory cells and colony forming unit-erythroid, burst-forming unit-erythroid, colony forming unit-granulocytes/macrophages after CsA & LMS regimen in both patients were observed.

CONCLUSIONThis was the first report of successful salvage by a novel strategy of CsA & LMS regimen for relapse or failure patients with SAA after allo-HSCT.