Abstract
A subset of patients treated with recombinant interferon α-2a (rIFN-α2a) for idiopathic mixed cryoglobulinemia (IMC) developed clinical resistance to therapy after a sustained response. Neutralizing antibodies to rIFN-α2a were found in the sera of three out of four such patients, and in none of the patients who remained responsive to treatment. rIFN-α2a neutralizing antibodies appeared in serum samples of the former three patients 1, 5 and 6 months before evidence for clinical resistance, respectively. Antibody titres to rIFN-α2a were consistently higher than those to natural interferon (nIFN). In the fourth patient with clinical resistance, neutralizing antibodies could not be detected by a very sensitive bioassay in any of several serum samples taken before and after relapse. All the four patients could be reinduced into remission by the administration of nIFN-α. These data indicate that mechanisms other than the production of neutralizing antibodies can mediate acquired resistance to IFN therapy. Furthermore, both antibody-related and -unrelated resistance can be overcome by switching to different species of IFN-α.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 56-59 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 1994 |
Keywords
- cryoglobulinemia
- interferon
- neutralizing antibodies
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Endocrinology
- Physiology
- Immunology
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Physiology (medical)