ACHIEVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF COMPLETE REMISSION IN A PATIENT WITH ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA AFTER WEEKLY ADMINISTRATION OF INTERLEUKIN-2

Several groups have used high doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2), achieving a significant rate of responses in patients with acute myelogenous le ukemia (AML). These results have mainly been observed in AML patients with limited disease (bone marrow blasts <25%), but this therapy is as sociated with significant toxicity which is dose-related. In this repo rt we describe a patient with AML in whom conventional chemotherapy ha d achieved partial remission. This patient received subcutaneously int ermediate doses of IL-2 (12x10(6)/m(2)/week) and achieved complete rem ission which was maintained for eleven months. The side effects of IL- 2 were mild. The results of this report document the antileukemic effe ct of IL-2 in AML with limited disease as well as the efficacy of subc utaneous maintenance treatment for prolonged periods.