title: Anti-retroviral effects of interferon-alpha in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.
abstract: 21 patients with AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma were enrolled in an open therapeutic trial to determine the in vivo anti-retroviral activity of recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). 8 (38%) showed a complete or partial anti-tumour response. The mean pretreatment CD4 count for the responders was 399 cells/microliter vs 154 cells/microliter for the non-responders. All 5 of the patients with more than 400 CD4 cells/microliter pretreatment showed a significant reduction in tumour, whereas none of the 7 patients with under 150 CD4 cells/microliter had any response. 5 of the 6 complete or partial responders with greater than 50 pg/ml of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p24 before IFN therapy showed a 75% or greater reduction by 12 weeks of therapy, with 3 patients having persistently negative HIV cultures. The anti-viral effects were also most pronounced in the patients with the highest CD4 counts. These data demonstrate the potential benefits, both anti-tumour and anti-retroviral, of treatment with IFN-alpha in the early stages of HIV infection and Kaposi's sarcoma.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins