[Intermittent administration of natural interferon-alpha for over 5 years induced complete suppression of Philadelphia chromosome in a patient with myelogenous leukemia].

A 60-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of gastric ulcer, anemia, and leukocytosis in November 1984. Blood cell counts on admission were as follows: RBC 407 x 10(4)/microliters, Hb 9.8 g/dl, WBC 33,000/microliters (baso 8%, eo 7%, myelo 11%, meta 2%, stab 4%, seg 54%), Plt 93.7 x 10(4)/microliters. Bone marrow showed hypercellular and myeloid hyperplasia. She was diagnosed as Ph1-chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia. She received natural interferon-alpha at the dosage of 600 x 10(4) IU daily for 22 days from January 14, 1985. After March 1985, she has been given intermittent administration of interferon once in 10 to 20 days, and maintained normal blood cell counts. Cytogenetic improvement was seen on 35 months after the start of IFN and complete suppression of Ph1 chromosome was observed at July 1990 (66 months after).