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Effect of recombinant human interleukin‐3 on haematological recovery from chemotherapy‐induced myelosuppression
Author(s) -
Tepler I.,
Elias A.,
Kalish L.,
Shulman L.,
Strauss G.,
Skarin A.,
Lynch T.,
Levitt D.,
Resta D.,
Demetri G.,
Gaynes L.,
Schnipper L.
Publication year - 1994
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.1365-2141.1994.tb06723.x
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , ifosfamide , etoposide , chills , interleukin 11 , neutropenia , gastroenterology , teniposide , surgery , anesthesia , cytokine , interleukin
Summary. Patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with ICE chemotherapy (ifosfamide 2000 mg/m 2 , days 1‐3; carboplatin 300 mg/m 2 , day 1; etoposide 75 mg/m 2 , days 1‐3) intravenously (i.v.) during the first 3d of a maximum of four 28 d treatment cycles. Interleukin‐3 (IL‐3) was administered in cycles 2 and 4 as a daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injection on days 5‐18. Cohorts of three patients were treated at dosage levels of 0.5, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 μg/kg/d. At 15.0 μg/kg/d a ‘flu‐like’ syndrome of myalgias, arthralgias and fatigue was considered dose‐limiting. Other toxicities were headache, fever, urticaria, arrhythmia, chills and flushing. Subsequently, nine patients were added to the group receiving 10 μg/kg/d. 27 patients received IL‐3 after their second course of ICE. At 10 and 15 μg/kg/d, IL‐3 in cycle 2 was associated with enhanced haematological recovery. Depth of neutrophil nadir and days of neutropenia (ANC < 0.5 × 10 9 /1) were reduced in 9/13 patients and in 8/11 patients, respectively. No effect was seen on platelet nadir or days of thrombocytopenia. IL‐3 was well tolerated up to 10 μg/kg/d when given as a daily s.c. injection. Results suggest IL‐3 as a potential adjunct to chemotherapy, and further studies to explore administration of IL‐3 in combination with other cytokines in this setting are warranted.