MARROW IN CHRONIC MYELOID-LEUKEMIA PATIEN TS - MORPHOFUNCTIONAL EFFECTS OF INTERFERON-ALPHA-2

Marrow trepanobiopsy was performed in 11 patients upon diagnosis of ch ronic myeloid leukemia and in clinicohematological remission of the di sease. The patients were treated with a2-interferon (reaferon) versus conventional myelosan (6 and 5 patients, respectively). The biopsies w ere studied histomorphometrically. In reaferon group the number of meg akaryocytes and endosteal stromal cells diminished. This may be due to an indirect action of reaferon on hemopoietic tissue via endosteal ce lls of the marrow stroma. Reaferon is recommended for myeloid leukemia chronics with a granulocytic-megakaryocytic histological variant of t he disease.