Premium
Treatment of systemic mastocytosis with interferon‐γ: failure after appearance of anti‐IFN‐γ antibodies
Author(s) -
FIEHN C.,
PRÜMMER O.,
GALLATI H.,
HEILIG B.,
HUNSTEIN W.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1995.tb01754.x
Subject(s) - systemic mastocytosis , medicine , antibody , interferon , immunology , interferon alfa , alpha interferon , mast cell , gastroenterology
. We report a case of a patient with systemic mastocytosis who was treated with interferon‐γ. Because of severe diarrhoea, nausea and weight loss due to mast cell infiltration of the gastric mucosa the patient received 150μg d ‐1 interferon‐γ subcutan‐eously for 10 months. During therapy, the plasma concentrations of IL‐3, IL‐4 and GM‐CSF, which seem to play a role in mast cell growth and differentiation were monitored. The patient had good symptomatic relief and the initially very high eosinophil counts in the pripheral blood showed a partial reduction. However, after 4 months of therapy the patient relapsed. In serum obtained after the relapse, but not in stored serum from the beginning of the therapy, neutralizing antibodies against interferon‐γ were found. Therefore an initial response to the therapy and a secondary failure mediated by treatment‐induced antibodies against recombinant interferon‐γ might be suggested. Interferon‐γ may be a well tolerated therapeutic option in systemic mastocytosis. However, treatment‐induced neutralizing antibodies against recombinant interferon‐γ should be considered if secondary treatment failure occurs.