A pilot study of high-dose interleukin-3 treatment of relapsed follicular
small cleaved-cell lymphoma: hematologic, immunologic, and clinical results
[published erratum appears in Blood 1996 Jun 1;87(11):4922]
A Younes, A Sarris, U Consoli, A Rodriguez, P McLaughlin, Y Huh, S Starry, F Cabanillas and M Andreeff
Department of Hematology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center, Houston, USA.
The growth stimulatory effects of interleukin-3 (IL-3) on normal
hematopoietic progenitor cells are well established, and clinical trials
using IL-3 after bone marrow transplantation for various malignancies
including lymphomas are frequently conducted. Although the IL-3 receptor is
expressed on the surfaces of follicular small cleaved- cell lymphoma
(FSCCL) cells, the in vivo effects of IL-3 on FSCCL have not been studied
previously. Because our preclinical data suggested that IL-3 may have
dose-dependent inhibitory effects on FSCCL cells in vitro, we treated eight
FSCCL patients with high-dose IL-3 in an outpatient setting. Each patient
received 1 mg/m2 of IL-3 subcutaneously daily for 14 days followed by 7
days without IL-3. After three courses (9 weeks), the patients were
evaluated for clinical responses. One patient had a minor response, and
four had no responses. Three patients who had progressive disease before
IL-3 treatment continued to have progressive disease. In two patients with
bone marrow involvement with lymphoma, IL-3 had no effect on FSCCL cells.
One patient with peripheral blood involvement with FSCCL cells that
expressed IL-3 receptors had temporary growth arrest of the circulating
malignant cells. IL-3 significantly increased the absolute neutrophil count
in seven patients (87%) but had little effect on the number of normal
circulating B cells. There was an increase in the number of circulating
natural killer cells and CD8+ cells in four patients. Treatment was very
well tolerated; no life-threatening toxicities were observed. The most
common toxicities were injected conjunctivae (100%), fever (100%), fatigue
(87%), and skin rash (75%). Most of the side effects subsided with the
continued use of IL-3. These preliminary results suggest that high-dose
IL-3 does not stimulate the growth of FSCCL cells in vivo and, in some
instances, may cause growth inhibition.
Volume 87,
Issue 5,
pp. 1698-1703,
03/01/1996
Copyright © 1996 by The American Society of Hematology