Effect of alpha IFN on unaggressive immunoproliferative disorders.
BACKGROUND
alpha-IFN is reported to be an effective treatment for a number of lymphoproliferative diseases. Little information is available at present on its effect in unaggressive immunoproliferative disorders.


RESULTS
In a prospective non randomized study, 57 patients with IgG or IgA MGUS, smouldering myeloma or stage I MM treated with alpha-IFN (3 MU 3 times a week for at least 6 months) were compared to 129 untreated similar patients. Four patients in the IFN group showed a monoclonal component reduction > 50% versus none in the control group, and 25% of patients suffered disease progression (MC increase > 50% and/or osteolytic lesions) in the IFN group as compared to 18% in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
alpha-IFN administration at the dose used is ineffective for the majority of patients with slowly proliferating immunoproliferative disorders; only a small subgroup of them may benefit from such a treatment.
Frigeri
F
F
Divisione di Ematologia, Università Federico II, Nuovo Policlinico, Naples, Italy.
De Renzo
A
A
Marcenò
R
R
Ruggeri
P
P
Musto
P
P
Andriani
A
A
Citarrella
P
P
Caronia
F
F
Rotoli
B
B
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007160:Immunoproliferative Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D016898:Interferon-alpha