Effect of prior interferon alfa therapy on the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether prior interferon alfa (IFN-A) treatment affects the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.


METHODS
We analyzed the outcome of 77 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) who received transplants from an HLA-identical donor using a total-body irradiation-containing preparative regimen. Engraftment, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), survival, and disease-free survival were compared between patients who had previously received interferon (IFN+) to those who had not (IFN-). Forty-one patients were transplanted in chronic phase and 36 had more advanced CML. The IFN+ group had received IFN-A in doses of 3 to 5 x 10(6) U/m2 three times a week or more for at least 4 weeks anytime before transplantation.


RESULTS
For patients in chronic phase, there were no significant differences between the IFN+ group and the IFN- group in regard to neutrophils recovery more than 1.0 x 10(9)/L (29 v 24), platelet recovery more than 50 x 10(9)/L (33 v 36), incidence of grade II to IV GVHD (23% v 28%), incidence of chronic GVHD (39% v 47%), disease-free survival (46% +/- 11% v 59% +/- 13%), relapse (9% v 11%), or 100-day transplant-related mortality (22% v 16%). In patients with more advanced stage disease, there was also no significant differences between the IFN+ group and the IFN- group in regard to these outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Prior treatment with IFN-A did not adversely affect transplant outcome. Further studies are required to better understand the complementary roles of IFN-A and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of CML.
Department of Hematology, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
S A
SA
Giralt
H M
HM
Kantarjian
M
M
Talpaz
M B
MB
Rios
A
A
Del Giglio
B S
BS
Andersson
D
D
Przepiorka
A B
AB
Deisseroth
R E
RE
Champlin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate
D016898:Interferon-alpha