Achievement and maintenance of complete remission in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia after weekly administration of interleukin-2
Speletas, M.; Ritis, K.; Bourikas, G.
Haematologica 81(4): 346-348
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0390-6078 PMID: 8870381 Document Number: 468754
Several groups have used high doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2), achieving a significant rate of responses in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). These results have mainly been observed in AML patients with limited disease (bone marrow blasts lt 25%), but this therapy is associated with significant toxicity which is dose-related. In this report we describe a patient with AML in whom conventional chemotherapy had achieved partial remission. This patient received subcutaneously intermediate doses of IL-2 (12 times 10-6/m-2/week) and achieved complete remission which was maintained for eleven months. The side effects of IL-2 were mild. The results of this report document the antileukemic effect of IL-2 in AML with limited disease as well as the efficacy of subcutaneous maintenance treatment for prolonged periods.