[Use of interferon in patients with hairy cell leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders].

Since early eighties there have been several studies evaluating the effectiveness of biotherapy with natural and recombinant interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) in patients with proliferative hemocytopathies of both lymphoid and myeloid origin. In patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) interferon induces clinical and hematological remission and was considered for several years as the treatment of choice in the management of this disease. Subsequently it was found that IFN reveals myelosuppressive effect in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) leading in majority of them to clinical and hematological remission and in part--cytogenetic one. Interferon decreases also thrombocytosis and its thrombotic-haemorrhagic complications in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and decreases erythrocyte count in patients with polycythemia rubra vera (PRV).