Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report on the clinical course of 15 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who were treated with recombinant beta-interferon as part of a phase I-II study. There were no objective responders among the 15 patients treated with recombinant beta-interferon at an i.v. dose escalating from 90 X 10(6) U given three times a week until there was documented disease progression or complete response (CR). Overall median survival was 24 months. One patient refused further treatment after 7 weeks. The major side effects of treatment included cardiovascular events (20%), mental status change requiring cessation of drug (6.7%), and grade 3 headaches/myalgias (26.7%). There were no life-threatening side effects observed; however, cardiac events led to the termination of treatment in three patients. Other minor toxicities included fatigue (46.7%), proteinuria (60%), diarrhea (6.7%), nausea and vomiting (13.3%), persistent fever (6.7%) and transient visual disturbance (6.7%). Thus, at our institution, in a cohort of 15 patients with metastatic RCC, recombinant beta-interferon when given i.V. at a dose < or equal to 720 X 10(6) U three times per week, yielded no clinical antitumor activity. A review of the literature on the use of beta-interferon for metastatic RCC suggests that there may be some efficacy, but our experience with escalating i.v. doses < or equal to 720 X 10(6) U given three times a week does not support it. Moreover, at these doses, one may find serious cardiovascular events although further studies need to be done in order to clearly define dose-related side effects as well as optimal efficacy-to-toxicity ratio.
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PMID:Recombinant beta-interferon in the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. 861 Jun 47

Interferon-alpha is currently the only available treatment for HCV hepatitis. We assessed the safety and efficacy of 6 month course of interferon therapy in 18 consecutive liver transplant recipients with recurrent HCV hepatitis and report the long-term response with maintenance interferon. Median follow-up after the institution of interferon was 24 months. Complete response was defined as normalization of both aspartate and alanine aminotransferase. Complete response after 6 months of interferon was observed in 28% (5/18); an additional 33% (6/18) of the patients were late responders. Overall, 61% (11/18) of the patients had long-term sustained normal response at a median follow-up of 24 months. Long-term sustained response was observed in 73% (8/11) of the patients who continued interferon beyond 6 months vs. 43% (3/7) in those who received 6 months of interferon. Fatigue, headache and cytopenia were the most commonly observed side-effects occurring in 39%, 22% and 28% of the patients, respectively. Discontinuation of interferon, however, was not required in any of the patients. Rejection was documented in 6% (1/18) patients receiving interferon; this incidence was not higher than rejection episodes occurring > 6 months post-transplant in other recipients transplanted during the same period and who did not receive interferon. Responders had a trend towards later recurrence of HCV hepatitis after transplantation. In conclusion; maintenance interferon was well tolerated and appeared to improve the long-term outcome in our patients; however, future studies should evaluate this in a controlled trial.
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PMID:Interferon-alpha therapy for hepatitis C virus recurrence after liver transplantation: long-term response with maintenance therapy. 888 7

A 40 year-old woman receiving alpha interferon therapy for chronic active hepatitis C presented transient bilateral visual obscurations with associated visual field defects and headaches, with elevated cryoglobulin levels. These manifestations mimicked the clinical picture of migraine and were associated with worsening of previous moderate Raynaud's syndrome and diffuse paraventricular lesions of the white matter seen in cerebral MRI. Bilateral posterior cerebral transient ischemic episodes rather than an anterior visual pathway lesion were thought to be responsible for the clinical symptoms though the exact role of interferon in these vasospastic-like disorders remains speculative. Their possible relationship with increased cryoglobulinemia is uncertain. We suggest that Raynaud's phenomenon may have a predisposing role for these manifestations.
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PMID:Bilateral transient visual obscurations with headaches during alpha-II interferon therapy: a case report. 896 66

Bropirimine (U-54461S), an oral interferon (IFN) inducer that has also a direct antiproliferative activity, is a novel antitumor agent. To investigate the safety and pharmacokinetics of bropirimine tablets and to measure IFN concentrations in patients with cancer, Phase I studies were conducted. In single dose study (0.25 to 3g) and multiple-dose study with one-day dosing (1 or 2g, every one or two hours, three times a day), bropirimine treatment was well tolerated by the patients with cancer. In multiple-dose study with consecutive days dosing (1 or 2g, every 2 hours, three times a day for 3 or 5 consecutive days), a regimen with a dose of 1g orally administered every two hours, three times a day for three consecutive days was considered to be tolerable to cancer patients. Adverse drug reactions frequently observed were generalized malaise, fever, nausea/vomiting, anorexia, headache/dull headache, and tachycardia. Abnormalities in laboratory tests frequently observed were leukemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevation in GOT/GPT. IFN was not induced in any patients in the single dose study. It was, however, induced in 3 of 16 cases (18.8%) in the one-day dosing study and in 6 of 7 cases (85.7%) in the consecutive days dosing study. As to clinical antitumor efficacy, a decrease in size of the tumor lesions and improvement in subjective/objective symptoms were noted in two cases in the one-day dosing study. With these findings, the regimen with the dose of 1g orally administered every two hours, three times a day for three consecutive days with a four-day drug-free interval per week was recommended for early phase II studies.
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PMID:[Bropirimine (U-54461S) phase I clinical studies]. 897 2

Laryngeal papillomatosis of viral origin and bad prognosis is characterized by multiple recurrence that induced obstruction of air pathways. Surgical remove with laser CO2 is the elected treatment and the its combination with interferon (INF) has improved the prognosis of this recurrent viral disease. Here is a presents a preliminary study based upon such therapeutic scheme. Twelve patients diagnosed with laryngeal papillomatosis; 6 women and 6 men from 32 to 72 years of age were included into two therapeutic schemes: Group B, Combined: One woman and 5 men to whom the surgical procedure was followed by a initial local dose of 3 x 10(6) IU of INF alpha 2b (Intron A) and subsequently 10 X 10(6) (of the same INF were administered intramuscular every days during 15 months the statistical analysis (Fisher test) between patients of the both groups of treatment showed a significant (p < 0.0001) clinical improvement of the patients who received the combined treatment (B). In this group of patients was found incidence of the collateral effects such as: headache, fever arthralgias, depression and anorexia.
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PMID:[Combined treatment in recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis with CO2 laser microlaryngoscopic resection and interferon alpha 2b]. 900 6

Laryngeal papillomatosis is one of the first diseases where interferon (IFN) was found to be effective. In 1983, a programme for the treatment of all such cases started in Cuba. Up to December 1991, 125 patients (92 children, 33 adults) have been treated: 102 with leucocyte IFN-alpha, 12 with recombinant IFN-alpha-2b, and 11 have received both preparations. Case management consisted of surgical removal of the lesions followed by an IFN schedule starting with 10(5) IU/kg of weight in children or 6 x 10(6) IU in adults, i.m. daily. The dose was progressively reduced, as long as no relapses occurred. At the end of the one-year schedule the doses were reduced to 5 x 10(4) IU/kg in children or 3 x 10(6) IU in adults, weekly. If there was a relapse, it was removed surgically and the patient returned to a higher dose level. Most cases (89; 71 per cent) have not relapsed after the treatment; 60 of them have been followed for more than three years. In those with relapses, the frequency of recurrence decreased in all but four patients. The treatment seemed to be more effective if initiated less than three months after the disease onset. The tracheostomy could be removed in five out of seven patients who needed it before the IFN treatment and was necessary in only three new cases during IFN treatment. In two of these, decannulation was possible later on. In a total of 14 patients relapses persisted after several cycles of IFN treatment. They were considered resistant to such treatment. No severe side effects were reported. The most frequent ones were fever, drowsiness, increased bronchial secretion, chills and headache. The establishment of this programme has maintained the disease under control in Cuba.
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PMID:Use of interferon-alpha in laryngeal papillomatosis: eight years of the Cuban national programme. 910 38

Forty-nine subjects were enrolled in a study comparing two dosages of parenterally administered interferon (IFN)-beta in combination with cryotherapy for the treatment of anogenital warts. Subjects were randomized to receive subcutaneous injections of either 2 x 10(6) or 4 x 10(6) IU/m2 of IFN-beta (Biogen) three times a week for a total of 6 weeks. Cryotherapy was administered concomitantly by aerosolization of liquid nitrogen at 10-day intervals. Systemic side- effects were modest in intensity and included fever, chills, myalgia, and headaches (flu-like symptoms). During the first 2 weeks of therapy, they were more common in the high dose group than in the low dose group (P = 0.02). Using survival analysis, there was no significant difference between the two groups in rates of resolution of warts present at baseline (P = 0.62). However, the rate of new lesion formation during the study was significantly lower in the high dose group (P = 0.04).
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PMID:A randomized, double-blind trial of parenteral low dose versus high dose interferon-beta in combination with cryotherapy for treatment of condyloma acuminatum. 922 60

Alpha interferons have been used widely to treat chronic hepatitis C virus infection. These include recombinant interferons, purified natural leukocyte, and lymphoblastoid interferons. Alpha interferon is administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection either daily or three times weekly for a period of 6 to as long as 24 months. A wide array of adverse effects of alpha interferon have been described. Several side effects such as fever, headache fatigue, arthralgias, and myalgias are common, especially with the initial injections. These early side effects of interferon are predictable and are encountered in the majority of patients. These may not require dose modification, but can be problematic for a significant proportion of patients. Other adverse events effects may require dose modification or even discontinuation of therapy in 2% to 10% of patients. Neuropsychiatric side effects such as depression and irritability can be most troublesome; their mechanisms are not well understood. Granulocytes, platelets, and red blood cell counts decrease during treatment, but the decreases are usually mild, although they can be dose limiting if cell counts are low initially. Interferon has important immunomodulatory properties, and treatment can induce autoimmune phenomena, the most frequent being autoimmune thyroiditis with either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, especially in predisposed patients. Other autoimmune disease can be aggravated by interferon therapy. Severe and even life-threatening side effects of interferon occur in 0.1% to 1% of patients; these include thyroid, visual, auditory, renal, and cardiac impairment, and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. Some of these side effects may be irreversible. Higher doses of interferon (above 5 million units three times weekly) cause higher rates of adverse events than standard doses. Contraindications to alpha interferon have been recognized.
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PMID:Side effects of alpha interferon in chronic hepatitis C. 930 75

Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage have shown antitumor activity in vitro and in murine models after activation with interferon (IFN) gamma. In vitro data suggest an additional effect on macrophage antitumor activity when IFN gamma is combined with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharides; LPS). In this study we treated nine cancer patients with a total of 62 MAK infusion cycles with autologous macrophages given intravenously (i.v.) after in vitro activation with IFN gamma and LPS. Low-grade fever (WHO I/II) was the commonest side-effect. Chills, nausea, and headache were noted when the number of transfused macrophages exceeded 2 x 10(8). One WHO IV toxicity occurred, consisting of hypotension after transfer of 3 x 10(8) cells, defining this dose as the maximum cell number tolerated. After pretreatment with ibuprofen, however, the maximum cell number could be increased without reaching dose-limiting toxicity. The highest number of cells reinfused was 15 x 10(8). Circulating interleukin(IL)-6 increased in a dose-dependent manner as did IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and IL-8. Tumor response consisted of one case of stable disease (12 weeks) in a patient with formerly progressing colorectal cancer and progressive diseases in eight patients. This study indicates that reinfusion of autologous LPS-activated macrophages upon pretreatment with ibuprofen is feasible and tolerated without major side-effects.
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PMID:Phase I trial of adoptive immunotherapy of cancer patients using monocyte-derived macrophages activated with interferon gamma and lipopolysaccharide. 943 48

Recombinant interferon (IFN) gamma was used in 10 patients, 6 to 15 years old, with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) for 5 to 11 years, resistant or with severe side effects to other treatments. Six patients had systemic JCA and 4 started as pauciarticular. Three of the latter became polyarticular. Treatment schedule was 50,000 IU-kg daily for 4 weeks, then 3 times per week for 3 months and twice a week up to 2 years. Eight cases had favourable clinical response. Prolonged steroid regime could be suspended in 7/8 cases who previously received it. Two patients with systemic JCA did not respond to IFN treatment. Side effects were fever (9), headache (8), chills (6), distal cyanosis, hypotension, leukopenia and myalgia (2), and vomiting (1). All were mild or moderate. IFN gamma was more tolerable than other drugs and seems to be beneficial for patients with JCA resistant to other treatments.
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PMID:Use of recombinant interferon gamma in pediatric patients with advanced juvenile chronic arthritis. 961 61


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