Twenty-five patients with Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL), eleven in post-splenectomy progressive disease, have been treated as out-patients with alpha 2 (r) Interferon (IFN) for twelve months. Eighteen patients completed the treatment: four achieved Complete Response (CR), twelve Partial Response (PR) and two Minor Response (MR). The response to IFN has been CR or PR in 89% of cases and MR in 11%. Even if the IFN effective dose and the length of treatment remain to be determined, IFN at relatively low dose seems to become the first treatment of choice in HCL patients. The remaining seven patients, still under treatment, already achieved PR at least.

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Recombinant interferon alpha-2 modulates hairy cell phenotype "in vitro".

The "in vitro" effect of IFN-alpha on the phenotypic profile of atypical cells from 5 hairy cell leukemia patients was investigated in a 72 hr culture assay. Cytochemical investigations revealed a dramatic decrease in the cytoplasmic content of acid phosphatase and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase in the absence of any apparent morphological modification. Flow cytometry showed that IFN-alpha markedly reduced the density of surface Ig without modifying the original isotype pattern. The expression of the receptor for the Fc fragment of IgG was also reduced. The class II MHC antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody 12 remained essentially unchanged. Hairy cells were negative for OKT10 and PCA-1 and remained so after IFN-alpha incubation. Present data indicate that IFN-alpha is able to consistently and selectively affect membrane and cytoplasmic features of hairy cells in a short term period. The possibility is envisaged that these changes may be related to the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-alpha.

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Recombinant leukocyte interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of mycosis fungoides.

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of recombinant leukocyte interferon alfa-2a (Hoffmann-LaRoche) as single agent in patients with histologically confirmed Mycosis Fungoides. The protocol consisted of a 12 week induction with subcutaneous interferon, escalating from 3 up to 18 million units daily, and a 6 or 9 month maintenance phase for complete or partial responses, respectively, with 18 million units 3 times weekly. 12 patients are evaluable: 5 are in complete remissions, 6 are partial remissions, and one had disease progression. Alfa-2a interferon was well tolerated: only 3 patients had WHO grade IV organ toxicity. Our study documents that recombinant leukocyte alfa 2a is a highly active agent in untreated patients with Mycosis Fungoides. Finally, the dose schedule chosen in this study allows alfa-2a interferon administration on an outpatient basis.

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PubMedDate not supplied