title: Alpha interferon in the treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
abstract: This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of alpha interferon (IFN) in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, a disease for which therapeutic options are still unsatisfactory. Fourteen sequential unselected patients received recombinant alpha-2b IFN (Intron-A, Schering-Essex) 3 megaU/day, progressively elevated to 10 megaU/day in non responders. Rate and type of response were evaluated in the 10 patients who completed a minimum treatment period of three months. Monocytosis, present in all patients by definition, was reduced in 8 of these 10; neutrophils decreased in 5 of 7 patients with high initial values. Signs of ineffective hemopoiesis were generally not influenced by the treatment, nor were organomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia, when present; however, in 4 patients the Hb level improved with treatment. IFN treatment failed to improve in vitro growth of GM colonies, but there was improvement of the cluster/colony ratio, due to decrease number of clusters. Lysozyme production by pathologic monocytes was inhibited in the presence of IFN in vitro. Tolerance was variable: three patients interrupted the treatment for unmanageable side effects. These results show that alpha IFN can be effective in CMML patients with prominent proliferative aspects.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Majolino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fragrasso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molica
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cirincione
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selleri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luciano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Renzo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vecchione
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015477:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins