Objective: To evaluate the effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) on the apoptosis of bone marrow cells of aplastic anemia (AA) patients.
Methods: The apoptosis of and Fas antigen expression on the bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNC) in 25 AA patients and 10 normal controls were assayed by TUNEL and FACS, respectively.
Result: The percentage of CD(34)(+) cells was decreased significantly in AA patients than in normal controls (P < 0.05), and so did the percentage of CD(34)(+)Fas(+) cells (P < 0.05). The percentage of apoptotic cells in AA patients was higher than that of controls (P < 0.01). After the patients were treated with CsA for 2 months, the percentage of apoptotic cells was decreased (P < 0.01). The percentage of CD(34)(+)Fas(+) cells was positively correlated with that of apoptotic cells in AA patients.
Conclusion: Fas is involved in the apoptosis of CD(34)(+) cells of AA patients. CsA could reduce the percentage of apoptosis of bone marrow cells in AA patients.