Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We evaluated eosinophils morphology, physical properties and antileukemic activity in autologous bone marrow transplanted (ABMT) patients treated with subcutaneous recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) and recombinant human interferon alpha 2a (IFN alpha) given as outpatient immunotherapy. All patients receiving rIL-2/IFN alpha therapy developed peripheral blood eosinophilia of 20-40% peaking at 2-4 weeks of therapy. While on rIL-2/IFN alpha therapy the eosinophils became hypodense and hypersegmented. The antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity (ADCC) of the eosinophils against the human B-cell lymphoma cell line (Raji) was depressed post-ABMT. Prolonged (28 days) in vivo rIL-2/IFN alpha immunotherapy enhanced ADCC activity of the eosinophils and brought them to normal levels. Similarly, rIL-2/IFN alpha immunotherapy enhanced the depressed cytotoxic activity of neutrophils post-ABMT to normal levels. Thus, eosinophils and neutrophils from rIL-2/IFN alpha-treated ABMT recipients may be targeted toward tumor cells by antibody, and express tumoricidal activity. No effect of rIL-2/IFN alpha was observed on monocyte-dependent ADCC activity which remained normal post-ABMT. We conclude that in addition to their effect on lymphocytes, cytokine-mediated immunotherapy consisting of subcutaneous low doses of riL-2 and IFN alpha may mediate their therapeutic effects in cancer therapy by increasing the number of eosinophils and enhancing the antitumor activity of eosinophils and neutrophils, provided that tumor-specific or tumor-associated antibodies are present.
Leukemia 1994 Aug
PMID:Eosinophils activation in post-autologous bone marrow transplanted patients treated with subcutaneous interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha 2A immunotherapy. 805 77

Interleukin 12 (IL12, NKSF-natural killer stimulatory factor) was found to stimulate natural killer (NK) cell activity of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) patients. Two patients not responding to IL12 stimulation were also resistant to interferon alpha (IFN alpha)-mediated augmentation of NK activity. IL12 also enhanced slightly the interleukin 2 (IL2)-induced cytotoxicity of HCL patients, while IFN alpha reduced the stimulatory effect of IL2. These data suggest that interleukin 12 has NK modulatory properties in HCL leukemia patients, which may be different from those of IFN alpha.
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PMID:Interleukin 12 augments natural killer-cell mediated cytotoxicity in hairy cell leukemia. 810 69

The follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) have been among those tumors demonstrated to show frequent responses to alpha interferon in phase I and II clinical trials. In addition, there are data suggesting that alpha interferon demonstrates synergistic antitumor activity with alkylating agents in animal models for a number of tumors. Based on these data, Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) undertook a phase II pilot study of the combination of interferon rIFN alpha 2b (2 x 10(6) IU/m2 s.c. tiw) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m2 per day orally) with the ultimate purpose of examining this combination as long-term therapy of follicular lymphoma in comparison to oral cyclophosphamide alone. One hundred five advanced stage III or IV eligible patients with pathologically diagnosed International Working Formulation B or C histology were entered on CALGB 8553 to determine toxicity and response rates to the combination. Both previously chemotherapy-treated patients (32) and patients without prior chemotherapy (73) were entered on study. For patients without prior chemotherapy the overall response rate to the combination regimen was 86% with 58% of chemotherapy-treated patients achieving complete response. Chemotherapy-treated patients had a total response rate of 62% with only 25% complete responders. Complete responses in patients without prior chemotherapy were positively correlated with absence of B symptoms, and good performance status and negatively correlated with the histological subtype of follicular mixed small-cleaved and large cell histology (IWF C); only performance status was significantly correlated with response in patients who had previously had chemotherapy. Survival at 5 years is estimated to be 63% for those without chemotherapy and 39% for those previously treated with chemotherapy patients. The maximum toxicities experienced during therapy with the combination regimen of cyclophosphamide and interferon alpha were primarily related to myelosuppression. Sixty-seven percent of patients without prior chemotherapy and 65% of patients receiving prior chemotherapy experienced severe leukopenia while severe thrombocytopenia and anemia occurred in 6-31% of these patients. Non-myelosuppressive toxicities were less frequently seen. These response rates are similar to those achieved in a previous CALGB trial with oral cyclophosphamide as a single agent, although severe myelotoxicity was increased to approximately 60% of patients from less than 10% with the single-agent therapy. The combination of alpha interferon and cyclophosphamide administered in this fashion is safe when peripheral counts are carefully monitored. Randomized studies of this regimen in comparison to oral cyclophosphamide are currently in progress.
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PMID:Combination trial of subcutaneous recombinant alpha 2 b interferon and oral cyclophosphamide in follicular low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 810 52

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNscc) produce low-molecular-mass factors (low-M(r) factors, M(r) < or = 25,000), which are antigenically related to the immunosuppressive retroviral transmembrane envelope protein p15E. These P15E-related tumour factors are thought to be responsible for some immunological impairments found in these patients (particularly the defective monocyte chemotaxis). A sequential and functional homology has been reported to exist between a bioactive fragment of interferon alpha (IFN alpha) and the putative immunosuppressive region of retroviral p15E (CKS-17). In this study we investigated (a) a possible functional and structural relationship between p15E and IFN alpha, and (b) the presence of and the relationship between p15E-related low-M(r) factors and IFN alpha in HNscc patients. We report the following results. (a) Recombinant human (rhu) IFN alpha was able to inhibit monocyte chemotaxis. (b) The anti-p15E antibodies crossreacted with rhuIFN alpha in a dot-blot technique; however, the anti-IFN alpha antibodies did not crossreact with disrupted murine leukaemia virus (p15E source). (c) Low-M(r) factors (n = 8-11) prepared from the sera of HNscc patients, which inhibit the monocyte chemotactic responsiveness, could be adsorbed by the anti-p15E antibodies as well as by the anti-IFN alpha antibodies. However, the abilities of the factors to adsorb to the two categories of antibodies (namely, anti-p15E and anti-IFN alpha) did not correlate. (d) Immunohistochemically we found IFN alpha-related epitopes, in almost all HNscc specimens studied (17/18), in locations distinctive from those of p15E-related factors. The anti-IFN alpha antibodies used in this study mainly reacted with basal epithelial cells close to the basal membrane, the prickle and granular cells of the squamous cell carcinomas. The anti-p15E antibodies mainly reacted with corneal layers, the granular and prickle cells, and did not react with basal epithelial cells. Our findings suggest that the immunosuppressive factors produced by HNscc cells are heterogeneous and p15E- and/or IFN alpha-related.
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PMID:Comparison of retroviral p15E-related factors and interferon alpha in head and neck cancer. 812 86

In follicular lymphomas with a low malignancy combined treatment (interferon alpha and chemotherapy) achieves the same number of remissions as chemotherapy alone, remissions after combined treatment are longer. Maintenance treatment with interferon alpha prolongs the remissions period. Maintenance treatment with interferon alpha can be recommended as standard treatment. For combined initial treatment it is important to define the optimal time schedule and dosage of interferon. Interferon alpha holds its place in the treatment of skin lymphomas where it leads in a great proportion of lymphomas to remission, and in angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy. In chronic lymphatic leukaemia its administration is restricted so far to clinical trials.
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PMID:[Interferon alfa in the treatment of malignant lymphomas]. 818 89

Leukemic cells from most cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) rapidly die by apoptosis in vitro, unless they are cultured onto bone marrow-derived stromal layers. We have recently established a stroma-supported tissue culture technique that allows long-term culture of leukemic lymphoblasts. In this study, we used this technique to examine interferon alpha (IFN alpha) cytotoxicity to ALL blasts. In 16 ALL cases tested (14 B-lineage ALL, 2 T-ALL), the number of cells recovered after 7 days of culture on stromal feeder layers was 60-178% (median, 108%) of those originally seeded. The percentage of lymphoblasts killed by 2000 U/ml IFN alpha 2b after 7 days of culture, ranged from < 1% to 91% (median, 56%). Cytotoxicity was (i) dose-dependent, (ii) eliminated by a neutralizing antibody to IFN alpha, and (iii) accompanied by tyrosine phosphorylation of a 135 kDa protein, which was detectable after 5 minutes of treatment. Numbers of residual normal lymphoid cells in the cultures remained low and conditioned medium prepared from IFN alpha-stimulated T, NK, and stromal cells was not cytotoxic to ALL blast cells. In contrast to results in freshly isolated ALL cells, six ALL cell lines tested were completely resistant to IFN alpha cytotoxicity. We conclude that IFN alpha is directly cytotoxic in most ALL cases but that the intensity of its effects varies widely among cases. The method used in this study may be applied to evaluate leukemic blast cell sensitivity to compounds with potential antileukemic activity, and to select patients to be entered in to clinical trials.
Leukemia 1993 Dec
PMID:Use of stroma-supported cultures of leukemic cells to assess antileukemic drugs. I. Cytotoxicity of interferon alpha in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 825 98

Cytokines are now part of the modern armentarium utilized against malignant blood diseases. The essentially lymphocytic haematopoietic growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-3) reduce the infectious morbidity associated with the deep and prolonged neuropoenia induced by the myelo-ablative conditioning for autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantations, and widening their indications is tempting. The reluctance expressed about their use in chemotherapy of acute myeloid leukaemia is abating now that controlled studies have shown that they preserve the complete response rate and shorten the duration of leucopoenia. Moreover, they modify the leukaemia biological response, which makes it possible to increase the cytotoxicity of certain drugs and constitutes a new approach to drug-resistant leukaemias. Immuno-modulating cytokines (interferon alpha, interferon gamma, interleukin-2) act through mechanisms that are still ill-defined: antitumoral activity, modification of biological responses, immunoactivation. Nevertheless, interferon alpha has revolutionized the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia and myeloid leukaemia, with a 70% remission rate. The scarcity of complete responses (10% of hairy cell leukaemias) or cytogenetic responses (20% of chronic myeloid leukaemias) justifies a combined treatment (chemotherapy+immunotherapy?) to improve these patients' cure rate. The anti-leukaemic activity of interleukin-2, observed in patients with refractory relapses, produces 33% of responses, including 10% of complete responses, and it is tempting to test the impact of this immunotherapy on the control of residual leukaemia as adjuvant of complete remission using randomized trials.
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PMID:[Cytokines and malignant hemopathies: leukemias and bone marrow graft]. 834 27

Interferon-alpha has been used as a differentiating agent in the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with conflicting results and often significant toxicity. In order to maximize the differentiating effects of this agent and minimize the myelosuppressive effects, a prospective pilot study was initiated utilizing interferon alpha-2a (Roferon A, Roche Laboratories) in the treatment of complicated or poor prognosis myelodysplasia. The study regimen utilized 'mini-dose' interferon alpha-2a at 1 x 10(6) units subcutaneously three-times per week for 16 weeks followed by an 8 week observation period. Nine patients were enrolled between May 1990 and June 1991, of which seven are evaluable. Forty-three percent (3/7) had a partial or clinical response as defined by normalization of one or more of the hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, or platelet count, or a decrease in transfusion requirement by > or = 50%. Only one patient was removed from study for interferon-associated toxicity. Mini-dose interferon alpha-2a appears to be an effective regimen for some patients with myelodysplasia which can be administered with minimal toxicity. Further investigation with interferon-alpha for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome, at the dosage utilized in this study, is warranted.
Leukemia 1993 Feb
PMID:Mini-dose interferon alpha-2a in the treatment of myelodysplasia. 842 72

m-BCR chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a rare entity. We report a patient presenting with Philadelphia (Ph)-positive, m-BCR-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who achieved complete remission after induction chemotherapy, but showed a majority of Ph-positive mitoses during this remission. A diagnosis of m-BCR CML was established and the patient was given interferon alpha therapy. This is the first m-BCR CML presenting as ab initio ALL. This report emphasizes the importance of karyotyping Ph-positive ALL during remission so as not to misdiagnose CML patients who can benefit from Interferon therapy.
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PMID:Minor breakpoint cluster region (m-BCR) positive chronic myeloid leukaemia with an acute lymphoblastic leukaemia onset: a case report. 854 89

To improve the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in a single center, we used interferon alpha (IFN alpha) to treat newly diagnosed CML patients and investigated the factors predictive of a major cytogenetic response. Fifty-two patients (pts) with a median age of 51.5 years (16-68), were given interferon alpha (IFN alpha) (5 millions/m2/day, subcutaneously). The median interval between diagnosis and IFN alpha was 41.5 days (0-160). The doses of INF alpha were adjusted to maintain the white blood cell (WBC) count between 1.5 and 5 x 10(9)/l and the platelet count between 50 and 100 x 10(9)/l. At diagnosis, Sokal's criteria were used to classify patients into three groups: low (n = 24), intermediate (n = 19) and high risk (n = 9). A complete hematological response (CHR) was achieved in 42 cases (80.7%). A partial response was present in nine; only one patient did not respond. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the age at diagnosis was found to influence the CHR rate (P = 0.06). Cytogenetic response was evaluated in 46 responder patients. Twenty-three patients achieved a major cytogenetic response (MCR) which was either partial ( > or = 65% pH negative cells) (n = 3) or complete (CCR) (n = 20). By univariate analysis, two disease-related variables were found to influence the MCR rate in 40 evaluable CHR patients: spleen size at diagnosis and peripheral blood blast percentage. However, using either univariate or multivariate analysis, the most significant factor was the achievement of CHR within 3 months (P < 0.0004 and P < 0.0002, respectively). These results show that IFN alpha can induce high rates of hematological and cytogenetic responses when administered in doses leading to myelosuppression. The achievement of CHR within 3 months could be useful to identify early, those patients who will not respond to IFN alpha and who need alternative treatments such as allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplantation.
Leukemia 1995 Dec
PMID:Response to recombinant interferon alpha in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in a single center: results and analysis of predictive factors. 860 8


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