title: Hematologic response of four patients with smoldering acute myelogenous leukemia to partially pure gamma interferon.
abstract: In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to obtain basic information on the activity of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In a selected case of AML, recombinant IFN-gamma, but not IFN-alpha, induced differentiation of primary leukemic blasts in vitro. Similarly, IFN-gamma inhibited leukemic colony formation in vitro. This contrasted with IFN-alpha which was inactive. In one case of AML (M2), partially purified IFN-gamma given intravenously caused a shift of the WBC profile from immature blasts to maturing myeloid cells and neutrophil granulocytes. Intravenous IFN-gamma treatment of another patient who had AML as a second malignancy resulted in a complete hematologic remission, normalization of marrow granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cell in vitro growth, and conversion of marrow cytogenetics from 95% hyperdiploid clone with complex abnormalities into 100% diploid. The results indicate a potential use of IFN-gamma in the treatment of selected patients with AML and the possibility of in vitro pretreatment evaluation of these patients' leukemic response to IFNs.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D013481:Superoxides; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons