INTERFERON-A 2A ADMINISTRATION IN CHRONIC ANERGIC BRUCELLOSIS

Two cases with chronic anergic brucellosis are described. Both patient s sufferred repeated disease relapses and responded poorly to conventi onal treatment. The immunologic research revealed that both patients w ere anergic to brucella antigens and immunocompromised. In an effort t o restore patients' defective immune responses, we administered Interf eron-A 2a during a six month treatment period as follows: a) loading d ose-3MU SC 3 days/week for an 8 week trial, followed by, b) maintenanc e period-3MU SC three times/week. Our results showed that IFN adminsit ration induced clinical remission in both patients by the end of the 4 th month of treatment. Additionally, Coombs' agglutination titers decr eased gradually, the leucocyte migration index and the skin tests deve loped ''energy'' to antigens and the monocyte macrophage function test s were restored to normal. We concluded that IFN treatment can be bene ficial in chronic anergic brucellosis by restoring defective immune re sponses, promoting therefore a sufficient inflammatory response agains t brucella infection.