Alpha-interferon treatment for adult T cell leukemia: low levels of circulating alpha-interferon and it's clinical effectiveness |
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Authors: | K Saigo S Shiozawa K Shiozawa J Wakuya K Ueda N Yamaguchi H Shibata T Masaoka |
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Institution: | Section of Internal Medicine, Kobe Kyodo Hospital, Japan. |
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Abstract: | We describe a patient with adult T cell Leukemia to whom alpha-interferon therapy was highly effective. Although a combination chemotherapy (ACVP) first introduced was effective in reducing total leukocyte counts, the percentage of leukemic cells relative to total leukocyte counts was decreased first after the institution of alpha-interferon therapy. The patient is now under complete remission for four years. It was noted in this patient that circulating alpha-interferon, measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay, was consistently low as compared with the value found in the age-, sex-matched healthy control (p less than 0.001). Since adult T cell leukemia is pathogenetically related to the retrovirus infection, low levels of circulating alpha-interferon of the patient may be important from both pathogenetic and therapeutic standpoints. Alpha-interferon therapy may be an useful additive for the chemotherapy of adult T cell leukemia. |
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