Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 induced by treatment with interferon alpha

Interferon α therapy has been reported to result in a variety of autoimmune side effects and to increase the risk of thyroid dysfunction. Autoimmune polyglandular syndromes are rarely described conditions characterized by the combination of at least 2 autoimmune endocrinopathies and nonendocrine autoimmunopathies, differing in the immunologic features of their pathogenesis. In light of research carried out in recent years, it seems that autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes occur much more frequently than previously estimated. In this article, the authors describe autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 2 composed of autoimmune thyroid disease, Addison's disease and premature ovarian failure in a 37-year old woman after treatment of hairy cell leukemia with interferon α. Because of the underlying disorder, interferon α treatment had to be continued, and therefore the patient was prescribed with levothyroxine, hydrocortisone, fludrocortisone and oral contraceptives. Termination of interferon α therapy was associated with a spontaneous normalization of thyroid and adrenal functions, and therefore levothyroxine, hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone treatment was withdrawn.     

Treatment with natural human interferon alpha of a CML-patient with antibodies to recombinant interferon alpha-2 b

Summary A patient with Philadelphia-chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia developed interferon antibodies on treatment with recombinant interferon alpha-2 b. Clinically this event corresponded with progressive disease. No cross-reactivity of antibodies with human leukocyte interferon was found by Western blot. Treatment was switched to human leukocyte interferon with an obvious clinical effect: WBC was reduced and platelet count stabilized, but the effect was transient and no hematologic remission was achieved. Human leukocyte interferon may be an alternative in CML-patients with neutralizing antibodies to recombinant interferon alpha.     

Biologic activity in a fragment of recombinant human interferon alpha.

To attempt to locate functionally important regions of the interferon (IFN) molecule, recombinant human IFN-alpha 2 was subjected to proteolytic digestion. The bacterial proteinase thermolysin produced two major complementary fragments, HuIFN-alpha 2-(1-110) and HuIFN-alpha 2-(111-153). After reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol and separation of the two major fragments on NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, antiviral activity persisted in the larger, Mr 12,000, fragment consisting of the amino-terminal 110 amino acids.     

Interferon alpha and alcohol augment nuclear regulatory factor-kappaB activation in HepG2 cells, and interferon alpha increases pro-inflammatory cytokine production

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms for decreased therapeutic response to IFNalpha in chronic hepatitis C patients with alcohol are unknown. We investigated the hypothesis that IFNalpha and alcohol regulate cells both in the liver parenchyma and the immune system. METHODS: We used the hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) to determine if IFNalpha (500-10,000 U/ml) or ethanol (25-100 mM) modulates NF-kB activation alone or in combination with TNFalpha (0.1-20 microg/ml) as determined in electromobility gel shift assays. IkB levels were evaluated in the cytoplasmic extracts by western blot. Monocytes from normal donors were activated with LPS (1 microg/ml) in combination with IFNalpha or ethanol overnight and TNFalpha, IL-6, and IL-12 were measured in the supernatants. RESULTS: In HepG2 cells, both IFNalpha and acute alcohol treatment induced NF-kappaB activation and augmented TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB binding. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with IFNalpha resulted in the highest levels of NF-kappaB activation in response to TNFalpha or TNFalpha plus ethanol stimulation. Supershift experiments confirmed that the NF-kappaB dimer induced by TNFalpha and its combination with IFNalpha or ethanol contains RelA (p65) and involves rapid degradation of IkappaBalpha. Experiments using the proteasome inhibitor, MG132, revealed that augmentation of NF-kappaB by ethanol and IFNalpha is mediated via the proteasome pathway. We show that in normal monocytes, IFNalpha augments LPS-induced production of the inflammatory cytokines TNFalpha, IL-6, and IL-12 (p < 0.06) without further modulation by acute alcohol treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that IFNalpha can increase HepG2 cell sensitivity to TNFalpha and ethanol-mediated activation. Augmentation of monocyte inflammatory cytokines, particularly of IL-12 production, by IFNalpha could be a key element of the antiviral response in chronic HCV. These results support the hypothesis that the therapeutic benefits of IFNalpha likely involve activation of both immune and parenchymal cells in the liver.     

Initial expression of interferon alpha receptor 2 (IFNAR2) on CD34-positive cells and its down-regulation correlate with clinical response to interferon therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia

In order to investigate the mechanism of interferon-alpha (IFNalpha) action in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), we examined surface expressions of both type I interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) and 2 (IFNAR2) subunits on CD34-positive cells in bone marrow (BM) in a total of 57 CML patients. Initial cell-surface IFNAR2 expression at diagnosis assessed by flow cytometry widely distributed but showed overall significantly higher expression in CML patients when compared with normal controls. In 15 fresh patients who subsequently received IFNalpha therapy, IFNAR2 expression at diagnosis was significantly higher in cytogenetic good responders than in poor responders. Down-regulation of IFNAR2 expression during IFNalpha therapy was observed only in good responders but not in poor responders. In addition to protein level, both initial high IFNAR2c mRNA expression level and its down-regulation during IFNalpha therapy, in purified CD34-positive cells, were also observed only in good responders. In contrast to IFNAR2, cell-surface IFNAR1 expression was generally lower than IFNAR2, and correlation between either the pretreatment level or down-regulation of IFNAR1 and clinical response was not evident. With in vitro IFNalpha stimulation, CD34-positive cells showed down-regulations of cell-surface IFNAR2, and IFNAR1 to a lesser extent, in one good-responder patient, but not in one poor-responder patient. Serum soluble interferon receptor (sIFNR) was higher in untreated CML patients than in normal controls, without any correlation with clinical response to IFNalpha. Thus, the pretreatment protein and mRNA expression levels of IFNAR2 and their down-regulations during IFNalpha therapy correlate well with IFNalpha response in CML patients.     

Treatment of hairy cell leukemia with recombinant alpha 2 interferon

Nine patients with progressive hairy cell leukemia were treated with subcutaneous injections of recombinant alpha 2 interferon (2 to 10 X 10(6) U/m2) three times weekly. Eight patients completed at least eight weeks of treatment and were evaluable; one patient with refractory thrombocytopenia died of an intracerebral hemorrhage after two doses of interferon. Seven of eight patients responded, with responses occurring as early as two weeks. Four patients also had resolution of their monocytopenia. No complete responses were seen with up to 30 weeks of treatment. Bone marrow biopsies demonstrated improvement in all eight patients. No unforeseen toxicity occurred, but most patients had transient myelosuppression during the first few weeks of treatment. Recombinant alpha 2 interferon is effective in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, with acceptable toxicity.     

ACE activity is modulated by kinin B2 receptor

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is an ectoprotein able to modulate the activity of a plethora of compounds, among them angiotensin I and bradykinin. Despite several decades of research, new aspects of the mechanism of action of ACE have been elucidated, expanding our understanding of its role not only in cardiovascular regulation but also in different areas. Recent findings have ascribed an important role for ACE/kinin B(2) receptor heterodimerization in the pharmacological properties of the receptor. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that this interaction also affects ACE enzymatic activity. ACE catalytic activity was analyzed in Chinese hamster ovary cell monolayers coexpressing the somatic form of the enzyme and the receptor coding region using as substrate the fluorescence resonance energy transfer peptide Abz-FRK(Dnp)P-OH. Results show that the coexpression of the kinin B(2) receptor leads to an augmentation in ACE activity. In addition, this effect could be blocked by the B(2) receptor antagonist icatibant. The hypothesis was also tested in endothelial cells, a more physiological system, where both proteins are naturally expressed. Endothelial cells from genetically ablated kinin B(2) receptor mice showed a decreased ACE activity when compared with wild-type mice cells. In summary, this is the first report showing that the ACE/kinin B(2) receptor interaction modulates ACE activity. Taking into account the interplay among ACE, ACE inhibitors, and kinin receptors, we believe that these results will shed new light into the arena of the controversial search for the mechanism controlling these interactions.     

干扰素α-2b与聚乙二醇干扰素α-2a治疗慢性乙型肝炎患者疗效比较研究*

目的 观察干扰素α-2b与聚乙二醇干扰素α-2a（PEG-IFNα-2a）治疗慢性乙型肝炎（CHB）患者的临床疗效。方法 将116例CHB患者分成两组,每组58例。给予对照组普通干扰素α-2b治疗,给予观察组PEG-IFNα-2a,疗程均为48 w。检测血清层黏连蛋白（LN）、透明质酸（HA）、Ⅳ型胶原（Ⅳ-C）、Ⅲ型前胶原肽（PⅢP）及血清白介素4（IL-4）、白介素6（IL-6）、白介素10（IL-10）和干扰素γ（IFN-γ）变化。结果 在治疗结束时,观察组HBV DNA转阴率、HBeAg转阴率、HBeAg血清转换率和ALT复常率分别为75.9%、29.3%、22.4%和70.7%,显著高于对照组的51.7%、19.0%、10.3%和55.2%（P<0.05）;观察组血清LN为（148.5±46.0） μg/L,显著低于对照组【（162.6±26.7） μg/L,P<0.05】,血清HA为（158.7±67.9）μg/L,显著低于对照组【（201.4±55.1） μg/L,P<0.05】,血清Ⅳ-C为（108.3±33.4） μg/L,显著低于对照组【（119.2±62.4） μg/L,P<0.05】,血清PⅢP为（145.8±47.2） μg/L,显著低于对照组【（155.3±36.7）μg/L,P<0.05】;观察组血清IL-4水平为（1.5±0.6） pg/ml,显著低于对照组【（3.9±1.6） pg/ml,P<0.05】,而IL-6水平为（6.9±1.3） pg/ml,显著高于对照组【（3.6±0.9） pg/ml,P<0.05】,IL-10水平为（22.6±13.4） pg/ml,显著低于对照组【（17.3±11.4） pg/ml,P<0.05】,IFN-γ水平为（37.2±10.2） pg/ml,显著高于对照组【（28.3±10.5） pg/ml,P<0.05】;观察组血小板计数减少发生率为51.7%,显著高于对照组的12.1%（P<0.05）。结论 PEG-IFNα-2a治疗CHB患者临床疗效优于普通干扰素α-2b,能持久有效地抑制HBV复制,改善血清肝纤维化指标,但不良反应较大,应及时处理。     

Successful treatment of a patient with postpartum factor VIII inhibitor with recombinant human interferon alpha 2a

A patient who had developed a postpartum inhibitor to factor VIII and who did not respond to repeated therapy with steroid and high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin G was treated with one short course of low-dose recombinant interferon alpha 2a (rhIFN) s.c. Within 7 weeks from the start of rhIFN treatment, the inhibitor disappeared. It remains undetectable 8 months after therapy.     

Reversible arrhythmias observed in patients treated with recombinant alpha2 interferon

Summary We have treated 25 patients, 7 with breast cancer and 18 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with recombinant alpha₂ interferon. In 5 patients we observed cardiac arrhythmias that were unexpected and required treatment. No deaths have occured that we can attribute to interferon, though 1 patient had to be resuscitated. Age, prior cardiac disease, prior treatment with doxorubicin, and interferon dose appear to be predisposing factors for this toxicity.Supported by the Schering Corporation and Harper-Grace Hospitals     

Clinical stable systemic mastocytosis with interferon alpha 2b therapy.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) with progressive infiltration of various organs by mast cells is a rare disease with a mean survival of 2 years. So far there is no established therapy. We describe a patient with progressive mastocytosis who had a clinical response to interferon alpha-2b 3 x 5 Mio U s.c. three times a week. The response is stable 3 years after initiation of therapy and includes reduction of abdominal lymphadenopathy, ascites, decrease of serum and urinary histamine levels as well as pulmonary reticulonodular markings.     

聚乙二醇化干扰素α-2a治疗慢性乙型肝炎的临床研究

目的评价聚乙二醇化干扰素（PEG-IFN）α-2a治疗慢性乙型肝炎（CHB）的疗效和安全性。方法72例CHB患者随机分配到治疗组和对照组。治疗组（30例）予PEG-IFN α-2a 180μg皮下注射，每周1次，疗程48周。对照组（42例）予普通干扰素500 MU，皮下注射，隔日1次，疗程48周，治疗结束后随访48周。结果治疗12周时，治疗组乙型肝炎e抗原（HBeAg）的阴转率达到30％，明显高于对照组，x^2=4．162，P〈0．05，HBeAg定量及乙型肝炎病毒（HBV DNA）定量对数值明显低于治疗前水平，t值分别为2．689、4．080，P〈0．01，而对照组治疗12周时与治疗前相比，差异无统计学意义，t值分别为1．229、1．009，P〉0．05；治疗24周时，治疗组乙型肝炎e抗原（HBeAg）阴转率明显高于对照组，x^2=6．190，P〈0．05，HBeAg定量和HBV DNA定量的对数值均明显低于对照组，t值分别为2．215、2．122，P〈0．05；治疗48周时，治疗组除上述观察指标优于对照组外，HBeAg／抗-HBe血清转换率、丙氨酸氨基转移酶的复常率及完全应答率也明显高于对照组，x^2值分别为5．771、5、617、5、308，P〈0.05；治疗结束后随访48周时，治疗组HBeAg的阴转率、HBeAg定量、HBV DNA定量对数值、HBeAg／抗-HBe血清转换率、丙氨酸氨基转移酶的复常率及完全应答率均明显优于对照组，分别为x^2=11．943、t=3、439、f=6、111、x^2=9．930、x^2=9、522、x^2=7．920，P值均〈0．01，而且保持持续应答，而对照组的应答率则有所下降；治疗组9例患者于治疗前后做2次肝活组织检查，治疗前肝组织中的乙型肝炎表面抗原及核心抗原阳性率分别为88、89％和66、67％，治疗结束时分别为22．22％和33、33％，乙型肝炎表面抗原较治疗前明显减少，x^2=8、001，P〈0、01；治疗前后肝组织的炎症活动度、纤维化程度及胶原表达无明显差异。治疗组有3例出现HBsAg阴转，阴转率为10％，其中2例出现在治疗后32周，1例出现在治疗结束后24周，对照组无一例阴转。PEG-IFNα-2a的不良反应与对照组相似。结论PEG-IFNα-2a治疗慢性乙型肝炎能有效地抑制其病毒复制，且能持续应答，治疗48周内安全且耐受性良好。     

Acute hematologic effects of interferon alpha,interferon gamma,tumor necrosis factor alpha and Interleukin 2

Summary This study was designed to investigate acute effects of various doses of the cytokines IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma Interleukin 2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha on white blood cell differential counts. Before initiation of phase II trials, a dose-determination phase was performed, where three different dose levels of each cytokine were applied as a single dose. White blood cell differential counts were assessed immediately before and 2, 12, 24, 48 and 168 h after injection. Patients enrolled suffered from metastatic cancer or chronic active hepatitis. In addition, IFN-alpha was administered to five healthy volunteers. Results indicate that cytokines cause rapid and transient changes in the numbers of leukocyte subsets. Hematologic changes were cell-type- and cytokine-specific: transient lymphopenia was observed after administration of all four cytokines, reaching a nadir 12 to 24 h after subcutaneous injection. Administration of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma also caused transient monocytopenia. Neutrophilia developed after administration of Interleukin 2, IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha. We conclude that cytokines play a key role in the regulation of peripheral blood cell traffic by their capacity to influence homing patterns of peripheral blood leukocytes.     

Comparison of long-term effects of lymphoblastoid interferon alpha and recombinant interferon alpha-2a therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B

To compare the long-term effect of natural lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha nl) and recombinant IFN-alpha 2a therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B, 210 patients in two trials were followed-up for 1.1-15.5 years following the end of therapy. They included 34 patients who received placebo (control), 67 treated with IFN-alpha nl (36 after prednisolone priming) and 109 treated with IFN-alpha 2a (56 after prednisolone priming). The cumulative sustained response was higher in patients who had been treated with IFN-alpha nl after prednisolone priming than was exhibited using IFN-alpha nl alone, IFN-alpha 2a alone or the placebo (P < 0.05), or IFN-alpha 2a following prednisolone priming (P = 0.052) at the end of 11 years. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected in 1.5% of the IFN-alpha nl group, 3.7% of the IFN-alpha 2a group and 14.7% of the control group (control vs IFN-alpha nl or IFN-alpha 2a, P < 0.05). The cumulative HCC development was higher in the control group than in the IFN-alpha nl group (P < 0.002) and the IFN-alpha 2a group (P = 0.06). The cumulative survival rate was lower in the control group than in the IFN-alpha nl group (P < 0.01) and the IFN-alpha 2a group (P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that IFN-alpha nl therapy and female gender are significant predictors of sustained response; preexisting cirrhosis, age at entry and IFN therapy are significant factors in both HCC development and survival. In conclusion, IFN-alpha nl treatment may have a better long-term effect on hepatitis B virus (HBV) clearance than IFN-alpha 2a and placebo, and IFN therapy may provide better long-term beneficial effects than placebo in terms of HBV clearance, reduction of HCC and prolonged survival.     

Efficacy of a short-term ribavirin plus interferon alpha combination therapy followed by interferon alpha alone in previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C: a randomized multicenter trial

BACKGROUND: Combination therapy with interferon alpha (IFNalpha) plus ribavirin has been shown to improve the sustained response rate in patients with chronic hepatitis C but there is little information regarding the lengths of time for this therapeutic regimen. In this study we therefore tried to evaluate whether the analysis of different virological parameters could provide new clues with respect to the early determination of the efficacy of this form of combination therapy. Furthermore, we also examined whether short-term induction combination therapy followed by IFNalpha alone is more effective than monotherapy in mounting an initial as well as a sustained virological response. METHODS: 185 patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis C (mean age 42 years (range 19-65 years); 110 males, 75 females) were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive, over the first 12 weeks, either interferon alpha 2a 6 million units (MU) three times weekly plus ribavirin 14 mg/kg per day (n=93) or the same dose of IFNalpha alone (n=92). Patients with a virological response (serum HCV RNA undetectable) after 12 weeks were subsequently treated with 3 MU IFNalpha alone thrice weekly for a further 40 weeks. Otherwise, treatment was discontinued. After the end of treatment, patients were followed up for 24 weeks. RESULTS: Patient characteristics at baseline were not significantly different in the two treatment groups. An initial virological response at week 12 was seen in 61 (66%) patients receiving IFNalpha plus ribavirin and in 44 (48%) being treated with IFNalpha alone (p=0.015) and this improvement in the response rate was mainly restricted to HCV genotype 1-infected patients (58% vs. 38%). In contrast, end-of-treatment (week 52) and sustained virological response rates were similar in both groups (37% vs. 29% and 26% vs. 17% [p=0.1], respectively). Interestingly, patients with HCV genotype 3, however, clearly benefited from short-term combination therapy. Thus, sustained virological response rates in these patients significantly increased from 25% (IFNalpha monotherapy) to 59% (combination therapy) (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term combined therapy for 12 weeks is more effective than the monotherapy with respect to the induction of an initial virological response but this effect applies only to genotype 1-infected patients. However, there is no significant difference between both therapeutic schedules with regard to the induction of sustained response. Although HCV genotype 3-infected patients seem to benefit from this short-term combined therapy, prolonged combined therapy may be necessary in HCV genotype 1-infected patients.