Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0015672 (fatigue)
 51,768 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fifteen patients with metastatic malignant melanoma, including 10 who had not previously received systemic therapy, were treated with recombinant alpha2-interferon (IFN-alpha 2) in a dose of 20 million IU/m2 by 30-min i.v. infusion daily for 5 days each 14 days. Evaluable metastatic sites included lung, subcutaneous tissue, liver, nodes, adrenals, and bone. Subjective toxicity was generally mild to moderate, with fever (38.2-40.2 degrees C), occasional rigors, fatigue, myalgia, headache, and nausea. Objective toxicity included transient neutropenia and elevation of hepatic enzymes, particularly gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. In 1 of the 10 patients receiving more than one cycle, IFN dosage was reduced because of toxicity, but later reescalated. All patients were evaluated for response. No overall partial or complete responses were observed, but two site responses (lung and subcutaneous tissue) were seen. Median survival from start of IFN treatment was 19 weeks. High doses of IFN were reasonably well tolerated in this study, but the results suggest little activity against malignant melanoma.
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PMID:Phase-II study of recombinant alpha 2-interferon in advanced malignant melanoma. 287 Nov 16

This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of sc administered recombinant alpha 2 interferon (IFN-alpha 2) in the suppression of frequently recurrent genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Seventy-six otherwise healthy subjects who had eight or more recurrences during the preceding year received 1 X 10(6) IU of IFN-alpha 2, 3 X 10(6) IU of IFN-alpha 2, or placebo three times per week for 12 weeks. Recipients of the higher dose of IFN-alpha 2, had fewer outbreaks during the study (2 vs. 3), a shorter period of viral shedding (2 vs. 4 days), less itching (1 vs. 3 days), and a faster healing time (6 vs. 8 days). The lower dose of IFN-alpha 2 was not effective. Significant side effects (fever, malaise, myalgia, fatigue, and arthralgia) occurred after the first injection of 3 X 10(6) IU of IFN-alpha 2 in 91% of the subjects, but subsequent injections produced only mild and intermittent side effects that were well tolerated. Mild leukopenia was noted in subjects treated with IFN-alpha 2. Treatment with IFN-alpha 2 resulted in moderate suppression and decreased duration of recurrent genital HSV infection in patients with frequent recurrences.
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PMID:Suppression of recurrent genital herpes simplex virus infection with recombinant alpha 2 interferon. 352 95

Effectiveness of recombinant DNA (rDNA) human interferon alpha 2 (IFN alpha 2) in advanced breast cancer was evaluated in 14 patients who had received prior endocrine and/or cytotoxic therapy. After randomization, 7 patients received IFN alpha 2 two million IU m-2 day-1, s.c., 3 times a week (schedule 1) and 7 patients received 50 million IU m-2 day-1, i.v., for 5 consecutive days, every 3 weeks (schedule 2). Treatment duration was 4-21 weeks in schedule 1 and 6-24 weeks (2-8 courses) in schedule 2. Regressions were not achieved with either schedule. Treatment was associated with significant toxicity and was more severe in schedule 2. Dose limiting toxicities were leukopenia, elevation of liver enzymes, hyperglycemia and fatigue. Serum IFN activity was low or undetectable in patients on schedule 1 and high in patients on schedule 2. At 24 h, serum IFN activity was detectable in only 1/6 patients on schedule 1 as compared to 3/7 patients on schedule 2. IFN neutralizing factors were detected in the serum of only 1 patient prior to treatment but none were detected in any of the patients during or after discontinuation of treatment (4-24 weeks). IFN alpha 2 increased the expression of both HLA class 1 antigens and beta 2 microglobulin in peripheral blood lymphocytes in vivo. This effect was dose related.
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PMID:Recombinant DNA human interferon alpha 2 in advanced breast cancer: a phase 2 trial. 391 78

A single rising dose tolerance trial of rDNA interferon-alpha 2 (IFN-alpha 2) was conducted in eight patients with the diagnoses of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Patients received a total of six i.m. doses at weekly intervals as follows: 1, 3, 10, 30, 60, and 100 x 10(6) IU. Patients were monitored at each dose level for serum IFN activity, anti-IFN antibodies, immunomodulation, clinical toxicity, and response. All patients exhibited clinical toxicity, including fever, chills, fatigue, headache, anorexia, mild-to-moderate leukopenia, nausea, and vomiting. Toxicity was dose-related, with significant side effects occurring in all patients at levels of 10 x 10(6) IU and above and some evidence of tachyphylaxis at higher doses. All side effects, including leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, were of short duration and were resolved within 3-5 days. Fevers, rigors, myalgias, and fatigue were partially alleviated by premedication with acetaminophen or hydrocortisone. Pharmacokinetic data indicated mean peak serum IFN titers greater than 90 at a dose of 10 x 10(6) IU and greater than or equal to 200 at doses greater than or equal to 30 x 10(6) IU 8 h after injection. No anti-IFN antibodies were detected. However, the serum levels achieved at higher doses were not linear, possibly indicating in vivo degradation. Total T cells, B cells, monocytes, and T subsets monitored by flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies remained essentially constant throughout the trial. Although some patients demonstrated minor augmentations of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and natural killing (NK) activity at the lowest IFN-alpha 2 doses, the majority of patients demonstrated decreases in NK activity after higher IFN doses. No correlation between immunomodulation and clinical response to IFN was observed. At higher dose levels, the predominant immunomodulatory effect of IFN-alpha 2 was suppression of NK, ADCC, and blastogenic responses to T-cell mitogens and recall antigens. B-cell functional deficits as well as radioresistant T-helper and radiosensitive T-suppressor function assessed in a pokeweed mitogen-driven immunoglobulin secretion assay appeared unaffected by IFN administration. One myeloma patient showed progression and was discontinued after 60 x 10(6) IU. There were four patients (3 NHL, 1 myeloma) who achieved partial remission (greater than or equal to 50% tumor reduction) and three (1 CLL, 2 NHL) who showed objective tumor responses of less than 50%. These data suggest that rDNA IFN-alpha 2 is well-tolerated and may have significant antitumor activity against lymphoproliferative malignancies. Clin
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PMID:Immunomodulation by recombinant interferon-alpha 2 in a phase I trial in patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. 660 23