Chronic myeloid leukemia and interferon-alpha: a study of complete cytogenetic responders.

Achieving a complete cytogenetic response (CCgR) is a major target in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), but CCgRs are rare. The mean CCgR rate is 13%, in a range of 5% to 33%. A collaborative study of 9 European Union countries has led to the collection of data on 317 patients who were first seen between 1983 and 1997 and achieved CCgRs with IFN-alpha alone or in combination with hydroxyurea. The median time to first CCgR was 19 months (95% CI, 17-21; range, 3-84 months). At last contact, 212 patients were still alive and in continuous CCgR; 105 patients had lost CCgR, but 53% of them were still alive and in chronic phase. IFN-alpha treatment was discontinued permanently in 23 cases for response loss, in 36 cases for chronic toxicity (15 are still in unmaintained continuous CCgR), and in 8 cases because it was believed that treatment was no longer necessary (7 of these 8 patients are still in unmaintained continuous CCgR). The 10-year survival rate from first CCgR is 72% (95% CI, 62%-82%) and is related to the risk profile. High-risk patients lost CCgR more frequently and more rapidly and none survived more than 10 years. Low-risk patients survived much longer (10-year survival probability 89% for Sokal low risk and 81% for Euro low risk). These data point out that a substantial long-term survival in CCgRs is restricted mainly to low-risk and possibly intermediate-risk patients and occurs significantly less often in high-risk patients

A polymorphism associated with STAT3 expression and response of chronic myeloid leukemia to interferon alpha

Interferon alpha (IFN) induces variable responses in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), with 8-30% of early chronic phase cases achieving a complete cytogenetic response. We hypothesized that polymorphic differences in genes encoding IFN signal transduction components might account for different patient responses. We studied 174 IFN-treated patients, of whom 79 achieved less than 35% Philadelphia-chromosome (Ph) positive metaphases (responders) and 95 failed to show any cytogenetic response (more than 95% Ph-positive metaphases; non-responders). We compared 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at IFNAR1, IFNAR2, JAK1, TYK2, STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5a/b between the two groups and found a significant difference for rs6503691, a SNP tightly linked to STAT5a, STAT5b and STAT3 (minor allele frequency 0.16 for non-responders; 0.06 for responders, P=0.007). Levels of STAT3 mRNA correlated with rs6503691 genotype (P<0.001) as assessed by real time quantitative PCR and therefore we conclude that rs6503691 is associated with the STAT3 expression levels and response of CML patients to IF

一次性レイノー現象の宿主・環境要因に関する研究 第1編 山間部と平野部における一般住民のレイノー現象の有症率の比較 第2編 レイノー現象発作と気温との関係 - 山間部と平野部におけるレイノー現象有症者の長期観察 - 第3編 健常者およびレイノー現象有症者における抗核抗体

第1編 山間部と平野部における一般住民のレイノー現象の有症率の比較第2編 レイノー現象発作と気温との関係 - 山間部と平野部におけるレイノー現象有症者の長期観察 -第3編 健常者およびレイノー現象有症者における抗核抗

Assessment of imatinib as first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia: 10-year survival results of the randomized CML study IV and impact of non-CML determinants.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-study IV was designed to explore whether treatment with imatinib (IM) at 400 mg/day (n=400) could be optimized by doubling the dose (n=420), adding interferon (IFN) (n=430) or cytarabine (n=158) or using IM after IFN-failure (n=128). From July 2002 to March 2012, 1551 newly diagnosed patients in chronic phase were randomized into a 5-arm study. The study was powered to detect a survival difference of 5% at 5 years. After a median observation time of 9.5 years, 10-year overall survival was 82%, 10-year progression-free survival was 80% and 10-year relative survival was 92%. Survival between IM400 mg and any experimental arm was not different. In a multivariate analysis, risk group, major-route chromosomal aberrations, comorbidities, smoking and treatment center (academic vs other) influenced survival significantly, but not any form of treatment optimization. Patients reaching the molecular response milestones at 3, 6 and 12 months had a significant survival advantage. For responders, monotherapy with IM400 mg provides a close to normal life expectancy independent of the time to response. Survival is more determined by patients' and disease factors than by initial treatment selection. Although improvements are also needed for refractory disease, more life-time can currently be gained by carefully addressing non-CML determinants of survival