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Combination therapy with interferon alpha‐2b plus low‐dose interferon gamma in pretreated patients with Ph‐positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia
Author(s) -
Wandl Ursula B.,
Kloke Otto,
NagelHiemke Marianne,
Moritz Thomas,
Becher Reinhard,
Opalka Bertram,
Holtkamp Wilhelm,
Bartels Heinrich,
Seeber Siegfried,
Niederle Norbert
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1992.tb02984.x
Subject(s) - medicine , chills , exacerbation , gastroenterology , alpha interferon , chronic myelogenous leukemia , chemotherapy , interferon alfa , leukopenia , interferon , leukemia , immunology
Between March 1988 and July 1990, 28 adults with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) were treated with a combination of recombinant human interferon (IFN) alpha‐2b s.c. (initial dose 4 x 10 6 U/m 2 ) and recombinant human IFN gamma s.c. (50 μg totally) daily. All patients were in chronic phase disease and had been treated previously with chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. A complete haematologic remission was achieved in three patients (11%), a haematologic remission in 12 patients (43%), and a partial haematologic remission in seven patients (25%). Six patients did not respond to this schedule. Acute side‐effects were flu‐like symptoms, fever and chills. During long‐term treatment six patients developed poly‐arthralgia. Haematotoxicity WHO grade III occurred in three patients, and WHO grade IV in two patients. One patient developed psychosis, and in another patient an exacerbation of a pre‐existing sarcoidosis was observed. We conclude that this combination is tolerable and effective in inducing haematological remissions in pretreated CML patients.