Hemolytic anemia in a cancer patient treated with recombinant interferon-gamma.
Currently, three classes of interferon are used in the treatment of malignancies. Interferon-gamma is the best studied. Bone marrow suppression as well as immune hemolytic anemia have been described. Heretofore, only bone marrow suppression has been attributed to interferon-gamma (IFN gamma). In this report, we describe a woman with lung cancer being treated with IFN gamma in whom acute hemolytic anemia occurred. Immune hemolysis did not appear to be the cause. We concluded that in addition to bone marrow suppression, hemolysis should be considered in a patient receiving IFN gamma in whom an unexplained drop in hematocrit occurs.
Rabinowitz
A P
AP
Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, School of Medcine, Los Angeles.
Hu
E
E
Watkins
K
K
Mazumder
A
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014558:Urobilinogen / Q000652:urine
D006242:Haptoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014558:Urobilinogen; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase