AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DYSFUNCTIONS IN HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES TREATED WITH ALPHA-INTERFERON

The widespread use of alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) therapy in differen t diseases draws attention to its side effects, such as autoimmune-rel ated diseases, especially thyroid autoimmune dysfunctions. Data about hepatitis and nonhematologic neoplasia are available, while data about hematologic malignancies are fragmentary. We studied the incidence of autoimmune-related disturbances and thyroid dysfunctions in 54 consec utive patients suffering from hematologic malignancies, treated with r ecombinant human IFN-alpha for a mean time of 15.9 +/- 8.9 months. Our results minimize the incidence of autoimmune dysfunctions in hematolo gic malignancies as side effects of IFN-alpha therapy. We registered t he appearance of autoantibodies in only 3 females (5% of total): 2 pat ients (1 affected with essential thrombocythemia and one with multiple myeloma) presented antithyroglobulin antibodies with no clinical symp toms; 1 patient, affected with essential thrombocythemia, developed an tinuclear antibodies with arthralgia and myalgia. ARA criteria for sys temic lupus erythematosus were not fulfilled but the therapy had to be interrupted. No patient developed thyroid dysfunction. In patients wi th hematologic malignancies, the dosage and the duration of IFN-alpha treatment do not seem to influence the appearance of autoantibodies, w hile female sex appears to be a risk factor.