[Molecular implication of Ph positive leukemias: treatment with alpha-interferon in Ph positive acute leukemia]

Patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute leukemia (Ph + AL) were treated with natural interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) after entering complete remission. In this study, subsequent cytogenetic analysis during complete remission in Ph + AL patients with major-BCR rearrangement revealed that the percentage of bone marrow cells with the Ph chromosome increased, while the bone marrow maintained a remission status. This cytogenetic-hematologic discrepancy led us to consider that the Ph + metaphases might be derived from cells with a non-lymphoid lineage rather than residual leukemic lymphoblasts. After administration of IFN-alpha, the percentage of bone marrow cells with a Ph chromosome decreased. Although this study is on going and we do not yet have the final results, treatment of IFN-alpha should be attempted on more patients with such a genetic abnormality.