Similar biological effects of different low doses of interferon alpha in cancer patients

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 55; no. 6; pp. 677 - 679
• Main Authors: BILLARD, C, DIEZ, R. A, FERBUS, D, RAYNAUD, N, DORVAL, T, POUILLART, P, NIELSEN, K, FALCOFF, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.06.1987
• Subjects: Aged; alpha -interferon; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; carcinoma; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - blood; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - secondary; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - therapy; Chemotherapy; Drug Evaluation; Female; Humans; influenza; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; Kidney Neoplasms - blood; Kidney Neoplasms - therapy; Leukocytes - metabolism; lymphocytes; Male; man; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; peripheral blood; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; side effects; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Urinary system disease; Treatment; Alpha interferon; Low dose; Phase II trial; Tumor; Metastatic; Intramuscular administration; Kidney
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1987.138

Clinical trials have shown the efficacy of interferon (IFN) alpha in a number of lymphoproliferative diseases and in solid tumours such as melanoma and renal cancer. The best results, including a high percentage of complete remissions, were obtained in hairy cell leukaemia with low doses of IFN-alpha (3 x 10 super(6) units/day or three times weekly, which give hardly detectable serum levels. The authors have studied three responses specifically induced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of cancer patients by the standard dose of 3 x 10 super(6) IU IFN-alpha and by a tenfold lower dose (0.3 x 10 super(6) IU). White cell counts in peripheral blood revealed a marked lymphopenia as soon as 6 h after injection of each of the two doses, which was completely reversed by 48 h.