[Interferon in the eradication of the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if human recombinant interferon alpha (IFN) combined with chemotherapy is able to suppress the Philadelphia chromosome clone in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).


METHODS
The cytogenetic evolution in 53 patients with CML in chronic phase de novo was studied. They received one of three treatment schemes: a) induction of remission with daunorubicin, vincristine, cytosine arabinose and prednisone (DOAP) and maintenance with IFN (n = 12); b) induction with busulfan (BUS) or hydroxyurea (HYDX) and maintenance with IFN (n = 26); c) induction with DOAP and maintenance with BUS (n = 15).


RESULTS
The remission was seen two to six months after the start of treatment: 10 had complete remission, six a partial one, 14 a minor remission and 23 none. The 16 with complete or partial response received treatment with IFN. None of the 15 cases maintained with BUS had complete or partial response. The proportion of cases with complete response (3/12) was slightly lower in patients treated with intensive chemotherapy (BUS/HIDX/IFN) than in those receiving conventional treatment (7/26).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that: a) IFN in combination with chemotherapy induced partial or complete response in 30% of our cases; and b) intensive chemotherapy combined with IFN was not superior in terms of a cytogenetic response to treatment with monodrugs (BUS/HIDX) and IFN.
Arana-Trejo
R M
RM
Departamentos de Hematología, Hospital General de México SSa. y Fac. de Medicina, UNAM, México.
Ovilla-Martínez
R
R
Gómez-Morales
E
E
Meillon-García
L
L
Cervantes-Peredo
A
A
González-Llaven
J
J
Pizzuto-Chávez
J
J
Kofman-Alfaro
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002066:Busulfan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D007372:Interferons; D011239:Prednisolone; D002066:Busulfan; D006918:Hydroxyurea; D003630:Daunorubicin