title: Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia with recombinant interferon alfa-2b.
abstract: Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A; Schering-Plough) was administered to 36 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at an initial dose of 4 X 10(6) IU/m2 daily subcutaneously, adapted to changes in leukocyte counts during the course of treatment. Of 32 patients who could be fully evaluated (20 men and 12 women; median age, 34 years) 29 were in the chronic phase, one had a blast crisis and two had accelerated phase disease. Hematologic remission was achieved in 20 of the 32 patients, while a partial hematologic remission was obtained in 10. Elevated pretreatment white-cell counts returned to normal in 25 patients after 3-40 weeks. There was a parallel decrease in platelet counts after an average treatment time of six weeks and in lactate dehydrogenase, after 2-20 weeks. In conclusion, administration of interferon alfa-2b resulted in a relatively rapid cell reduction in chronic phase CML. The long-term effect of this treatment on the course of the disease and the place of interferon alfa-2b in the overall concept of CML treatment remains to be evaluated.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Niederle
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kloke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osieka
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000628:therapy*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase