title: Long-term treatment with interferon-alpha 2b for severe pruritus in patients with polycythaemia vera.
abstract: Pruritus is a major clinical problem in patients with polycythaemia vera (PV). Conventional symptomatic treatment is unsatisfactory. Recently, a favourable effect of interferon-alpha on pruritus in patients with PV has been reported. Also, interferon-alpha suppresses the increased haemopoiesis in PV. However, long-term treatment with interferon-alpha may be hampered by side-effects and the inconvenience of chronic subcutaneous injection therapy. We conducted a long-term study (median follow-up 13 months) of the efficacy and tolerability of interferon-alpha in 15 patients (mean age 68 years) with PV and severe pruritus. Six patients were evaluable after 1 year. Pruritus significantly improved in 12/15 patients. Haematological control improved, as evidenced by a decreased number of phlebotomies from a mean of 4.3 in the year before the study to 1.8 while on interferon-alpha. Leucocyte and platelet numbers also decreased significantly. Five patients (33%) did not tolerate interferon-alpha. The effects of interferon-alpha could not be ascribed to an inhibitive effect on histamine production or to the disappearance of the abnormal erythroid progenitor clone, because erythropoietin-independent erythroid colony formation persisted during interferon-alpha treatment. We conclude that long-term interferon-alpha treatment is feasible and effectively relieves pruritus in patients with PV, but side-effects are an important concern. The optimal dose regimen that is well tolerated, relieves pruritus, and offers satisfactory haematological control at the same time remains to be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, Leyenburg Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: de Wolf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wijermans
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Huijgens
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Halie
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vellenga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001815:Bloodletting; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006632:Histamine / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000150:complications*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006632:Histamine