title: Combination therapy with interferon alpha-2b plus low-dose interferon gamma in pretreated patients with Ph-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia.
abstract: Between March 1988 and July 1990, 28 adults with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) were treated with a combination of recombinant human interferon (IFN) alpha-2b s.c. (initial dose 4 x 10(6) U/m2) and recombinant human IFN gamma s.c. (50 micrograms totally) daily. All patients were in chronic phase disease and had been treated previously with chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. A complete haematologic remission was achieved in three patients (11%), a haematologic remission in 12 patients (43%), and a partial haematologic remission in seven patients (25%). Six patients did not respond to this schedule. Acute side-effects were flu-like symptoms, fever and chills. During long-term treatment six patients developed polyarthralgia. Haematotoxicity WHO grade III occurred in three patients, and WHO grade IV in two patients. One patient developed psychosis, and in another patient an exacerbation of a pre-existing sarcoidosis was observed. We conclude that this combination is tolerable and effective in inducing haematological remissions in pretreated CML patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Cancer Research), University of Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Wandl
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kloke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagel-Hiemke
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moritz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Opalka
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holtkamp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seeber
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Niederle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma