Therapy of advanced acute myeloblastic leukemia with cytarabine and interleukin 2

A child with acute myelogenous leukemia who relapsed three months after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant received intermediate-dose cytarabine followed by interleukin 2 (IL-2). Complete remission was achieved after the first cycle of IL-2. Five more combined cycles of cytarabine and IL-2 were given over the next year, during which remission has persisted. IL-2 therapy affected serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon gamma (IFN gamma) and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2r) levels. In vitro cytotoxicity against leukemia cell lines and recipient leukemia cells was also increased.