Inclusion Criteria:
- diagnosis myelodysplastic syndrome (primary or secondary) based on cytopenia in at
least 1 cell line + dysplasia in 2 cell lines (and no other cause (especially
deficiencies)) and a pathologic anatomic diagnosis after bone marrow punction.
- refractory anaemia (RA): blood: ≤ 1% blasts, ≤ 1 x 109 monocytes; bone marrow: < 5%
blasts, ringed sideroblasts ≤ 15% of the erythroid cells
- refractory anaemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS): blood: ≤ 1% blasts, ≤ 1 x 109
monocytes; bone marrow: < 5% blasts, ringed sideroblasts > 15% of the erythroid cells
- refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB): blood: < 5% blasts, ≤ 1 x 109
monocytes; bone marrow: blasts ≥ 5 -≤ 20%
- chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML): blood: >1 x 109/l monocytes, <5% blasts;
bone marrow: blasts < 20%, increase of the monocytic component
- erythrocyte transfusion need
- working knowledge of the national language
- written consent for participating this study (informed consent)
Exclusion Criteria:
- candidate for bone marrow- or organ transplantation
- medication: growth factors (GM-CSF), or EPO
- patients who will receive an intensive chemotherapeutic treatment with a cytopenia,
expected longer than 2 weeks
- refractory anaemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-t): blood: ≥ 5% blasts
or Auer rods; bone marrow: or blasts > 20 - < 30% or Auer rods
- pregnancy at the moment of inclusion
- patients with congenital severe haemolytic anaemia, like thalassemia or sickle cell
anaemia
- patients with AIDS or a severe congenital or acquired (e.g. iatrogenic) immunological
disorder
- severe active infections at the moment of inclusion
- severe cardiac, pulmonal, neurological, metabolic or psychiatric disease at the
moment of inclusion