title: Response to 2'-deoxycoformycin after failure of interferon-alpha in nonsplenectomized patients with hairy cell leukemia.
abstract: Two patients with hairy cell leukemia with massive splenomegaly and severe pancytopenia were treated with recombinant alpha-A interferon (IFN-alpha-2a). There was no significant response to a trial of IFN-alpha-2a (11 and 20 weeks) with respect to blood counts or spleen size. Subsequent treatment with 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF) for 8 consecutive weeks (4 mg/m2/wk) resulted in normalization of spleen size and a normalization of peripheral blood counts and bone marrow in one patient. The second patient demonstrated a reduction in spleen size and improved blood counts following 9 weeks of dCF therapy but eventually became refractory. This demonstrates that dCF is non-cross-resistant with interferon and confirms the efficacy of dCF in nonsplenectomized patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003070:Coformycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D015649:Pentostatin; D012263:Ribonucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013163:Splenomegaly
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D012263:Ribonucleosides; D003070:Coformycin; D015649:Pentostatin