title: Effective treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome with imatinib mesylate.
abstract: Imatinib mesylate treatment is highly effective in chronic myeloid leukaemia and recent data have suggested that imatinib mesylate is also effective in the treatment of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Six patients with HES were treated daily with 100 mg imatinib mesylate. Five patients had normal karyotype and one showed trisomy 8. RT-PCR was negative for ETV6-PDGFRB and BCR-ABL fusion mRNAs. All patients rapidly achieved complete haematological remission. One patient remained in remission for more than 6 weeks after discontinuing treatment. No significant side effect was noted. Imatinib mesylate should be considered in the first-line therapy of idiopathic HES.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Pierre A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Zalloua
authors.forename: Aref
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chehal
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bitar
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadri
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chami
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bazarbachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D001549:Benzamides; D002648:Child; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D017931:DNA Primers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007621:Karyotyping; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014314:Trisomy
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D017931:DNA Primers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl