[Interferon alfa-2b treatment of adult patients during early chronic phase of Ph1-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (initial report on a cooperative study, protocol CML-MIG-97)]. / Terapiia bol'nykh v rannei khronicheskoi faze Ph'-polozhitel'nogo khronicheskogo mieloleikoza vzroslykh preparatami interferona-alfa-2b (pervoe soobshchenie po rezul'tatam kooperirovannogo issledovaniia po protokolu KhML MIG-97).

AIM: Evaluation of clinical effectiveness of two regimens of induction therapy of an early chronic stage of Ph'-positive chronic myeloid leukemia including interferon-alpha 2b (intron-A, "Schering Plough") in a cooperative randomised trial on the protocol CML MIG-97. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 42 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia were treated either with intron-A in standard doses (5 IU/m2/day) alone or in combination with monthly 10-day courses of low-dose cytosine-arabinoside (10 mg/m2/twice a day). The effect was assessed by the international criteria of a complete and partial hematologic remission and the cytogenetic response. RESULTS: Intron-A therapy in standard doses produced a pronounced cytogenetic response in 28.6% of the patients. In low-dose interferon-alpha-2b (reaferon and intron-A, 1-3 IU/m2/day) in combination with various regimens of chemotherapy only minimal cytogenetic response was achieved. CONCLUSION: A pronounced cytogenetic response in early chronic stage of CML to standard doses of intron A holds promise in prolongation of CML patients survival and design of new effective therapy programs.

[The hypereosinophilic variant of Ph'-positive chronic myeloleukemia]. / Giperéozinofil'nyi variant Ph"-polozhitel'nogo khronicheskogo mieloleikoza.

AIM: To confirm clonal nature of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES), its relevance to Ph'-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3 cases of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome are reported with morphologic analysis of bone marrow cells and cytogenetic examinations. In one patient the presence of Ph'-chromosome was confirmed at fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular-genetic analysis (bcr/abl). Samples of bone marrow, spleen and liver were examined pathohistologically. RESULTS: The presence of chromosome anomaly t(9;22), i.e. Ph'-chromosome, associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was identified in all the 3 cases. There was also myeloid hyperplasia in the bone marrow (with primarily mature, eosinophilic granulocytes), spleen and liver, depression of megakaryocyto- and erythropoiesis. 2 patients had similar clinical symptoms which was not typical for CML in chronic phase: fever, elevated ESR, clear-cut anemia and thrombocytopenia. In the absence of hyperleukocytosis, blood and bone marrow eosinophils remained high (42.5, 21.5, 42.5% and 21.4, 7.1, 6.5%, respectively) due to "mature" forms. The number of blasts in the bone marrow was maximum 2.4%. CONCLUSION: The literature and the obtained data suggest closeness of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome and Ph'-positive CML within myeloproliferative diseases.

[A benign form of chronic lympholeukemia]. / Dobrokachestvennaia forma khronicheskogo limfoleikoza.

According to the classification of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) proposed by A. I. Vorob'ev and M. D. Brilliant in 1983, benign CLL is a distinct form of CLL which is characterized by low level of absolute lymphocytosis, absent or mild peripheral lymphadenopathy, slow progression. No specific therapy is needed. The paper presents clinical, morphological and immunological analysis of 34 cases of benign CLL (17 males and 17 females, mean age 58 years). Patients were included in the study if they had lymphocyte count less than 30,000 and no significant growth of lymphoid tissue for at least 3 years. They were followed up from 3 to 24 years (11 years, on the average). The main features of benign CLL are the following: no "B" symptoms, no essential enlargement of the lymphoid organs, a stable low level of absolute lymphocytosis, low prolymphocyte count in the blood smear (0.95% +/- 0.2), nodular or nodular-interstitial proliferation in the bone marrow. We failed to find any cases with paraprotein secretion. There was immunophenotype typical for CLL in 91% of cases (CD19+, CD20+, CD23+, CD5+, EM+, CR1-/CR2+, sIg+(-)). None was positive for CD38 activation marker. One trisomy 12 cases was detected by FISH method. 8 patients died so far, but not because of the tumor progression or transformation, median survival was 22 years.