In four patients with polycythaemia vera (PV) who received interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) (3 MU subcutaneously three times a week) for 5 months, peripheral blood levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units and erythroid burst-forming units were assessed monthly. Circulating progenitors significantly decreased throughout the treatment period. Moreover, we observed an inhibitory activity of IFN-alpha on haemopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) from patients with PV in vitro. The data presented confirm previous research which has shown an inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha on HPC from patients with myeloproliferative disorders. Significant improvement in the patients' clinical and haematological conditions should encourage larger studies on IFN-alpha administration in PV patients.

The pharmacologic results seem to exclude a pharmacokinetic interaction between CBDCA and DDP and suggest that a dose of CBDCA 2-fold higher than that used in this study associated intrapleurally with 60 mg/m2 DDP could induce an acceptable and predictable myelosuppression.

The in vivo effects of hydroxyurea (HU) on circulating erythroid (BFU-E) and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) have been evaluated. HU induced a strong decrease of both BFU-E and CFU-GM in the first month of treatment. During the following 4 months of treatment the level of circulating progenitors remained at very low values, until the end of the period of observation. HU activity involved both erythroid and myeloid committed progenitors and both erythropoietin-stimulated (normal) and endogenous (derived from the abnormal PV clone) BFU-E.

Our study results suggest that long-term use of antiglaucoma medication induces changes in both tear film and conjunctival surface. Such changes may be related to the medication or the duration of treatment, but may also be due to the preservatives used in the commercial product.

SummaryThe authors studied the clinical and histological effects of cyclosporine instilled after filtering surgery. Its efficacy and variety of advantages compared to other antimitotic agents encourage its use.