Legouffe E, Rossi J F, Laporte J P, Isnard F, Oziol E, Fabbro M, Janbon C, Jourdan J, Najman A
Service des Maladies du Sang, Hôpital Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France.
Leuk Lymphoma. 1995 Oct;19(3-4):337-42. doi: 10.3109/10428199509107907.
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a differentiated B-cell malignancy which is usually less responsive to standard chemotherapy because of low-proliferating cells. Interferon alpha has been shown to possess a therapeutic action in numerous B-cell malignancies including the early stage of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, follicular lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia. Fourteen patients with progressive WM were included in a pilot study using very low dose of interferon alpha-2a (1 Million Units 3 times a week). The mean duration of treatment was 10.3 months (range 2-44). Six of 14 (42%) patients presented an increase in the hemoglobin level (> or = 0.9 g/dL) and 4/14 (28%) had a substantial decrease of the monoclonal component (> or = 20% of reduction). Only two patients presented both types of response, while the others with an increase in the hemoglobin level had a slight decrease in the monoclonal component (MC) (1 patient), a stable MC (1 patient) or a slight increase of MC (1 patient). One additional patient had a 15% decrease of the MC with a stable hemoglobin level. Response was observed within 3 months with a median duration of 6 months. Treatment was stopped for 3 patients because of flu-like symptoms (2 patients), or thrombocytopenia (1 patient). Follow up was possible in 12 patients lasting up to a maximum of 30 months after discontinuing treatment. Seven patients died, including 4 with progressive disease, two of infection and one of cardiac failure. In the view of these results, very low dose of interferon alpha may constitute a new approach for treatment of some cases of WM.
华氏巨球蛋白血症（WM）是一种分化型B细胞恶性肿瘤，由于其细胞增殖缓慢，通常对标准化疗反应较差。干扰素α已被证明在多种B细胞恶性肿瘤中具有治疗作用，包括慢性淋巴细胞白血病早期、多发性骨髓瘤、滤泡性淋巴瘤和毛细胞白血病。一项使用极低剂量干扰素α-2a（每周3次，每次100万单位）的试点研究纳入了14例进展性WM患者。平均治疗持续时间为10.3个月（范围2 - 44个月）。14例患者中有6例（42%）血红蛋白水平升高（≥0.9 g/dL），4例（28%）单克隆成分显著降低（降低≥20%）。只有2例患者出现了两种类型的反应，而其他血红蛋白水平升高的患者单克隆成分有轻微降低（1例）、单克隆成分稳定（1例）或单克隆成分轻微升高（1例）。另有1例患者单克隆成分降低15%，血红蛋白水平稳定。在3个月内观察到反应，中位持续时间为6个月。3例患者因流感样症状（2例）或血小板减少（1例）而停止治疗。12例患者得以随访，随访时间最长为停药后30个月。7例患者死亡，其中4例死于疾病进展，2例死于感染，1例死于心力衰竭。鉴于这些结果，极低剂量的干扰素α可能为某些WM病例的治疗提供一种新方法。
