TY - JOUR
T1 - A phase I trial of recombinant human interleukin-6 in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and thrombocytopenia
AU - Gordon, Michael S.
AU - Nemunaitis, John
AU - Hoffman, Ron
AU - Paquette, Ronald L.
AU - Rosenfeld, Craig
AU - Manfreda, Sheryl
AU - Isaacs, Randi
AU - Nimer, Stephen D.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1995/6/1
Y1 - 1995/6/1
N2 - To evaluate the hematologic effects of recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6, Escherichia coli, SDZ ILS 969, IL-6), and determine its toxicity profile, we performed a phase I trial of IL-6 in 22 patients with various myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), platelet counts <100,000/μL, and <5% bone marrow (BM) blasts. Patients received one of four doses of IL-6 (1.0, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 μg/kg/d) as a subcutaneous injection on day 1, followed by a 7-day wash-out period, and then 28 days of IL-6 therapy. Dose-limiting toxicities of fatigue, fever, and elevated alkaline phosphatase were seen at 5.0 μg/kg/d; the maximum tolerated dose was 3.75 μg/kg/d. All patients experienced at least grade II fever and all had an increase in acute phase proteins. Eight patients (36%) experienced at least a transient improvement in platelet counts; three fulfilled the criteria for response, whereas five others had clinically significant increases that failed to meet response criteria. Various IL-6-related toxicities prevented more than three patients from receiving maintenance therapy. Two of the three patients who received maintenance IL-6 therapy had a persistent increase in platelet counts, during 3 and 12 months of IL-6 therapy, respectively. Laboratory studies indicated that IL-6 increased the frequency of higher ploidy megakaryocytes but did not significantly increase the number of assayable megakaryocytic progenitor cells, suggesting that IL-6 acts as a maturational agent rather than a megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factor. Although IL-6 therapy can promote thrombopoiesis in some MDS patients, its limited activity and significant therapy-related toxicity preclude its use as a single agent in this patient population. Further studies, combining low doses of IL-6 with other hematopoietic growth factors, are underway.
AB - To evaluate the hematologic effects of recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6, Escherichia coli, SDZ ILS 969, IL-6), and determine its toxicity profile, we performed a phase I trial of IL-6 in 22 patients with various myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), platelet counts <100,000/μL, and <5% bone marrow (BM) blasts. Patients received one of four doses of IL-6 (1.0, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 μg/kg/d) as a subcutaneous injection on day 1, followed by a 7-day wash-out period, and then 28 days of IL-6 therapy. Dose-limiting toxicities of fatigue, fever, and elevated alkaline phosphatase were seen at 5.0 μg/kg/d; the maximum tolerated dose was 3.75 μg/kg/d. All patients experienced at least grade II fever and all had an increase in acute phase proteins. Eight patients (36%) experienced at least a transient improvement in platelet counts; three fulfilled the criteria for response, whereas five others had clinically significant increases that failed to meet response criteria. Various IL-6-related toxicities prevented more than three patients from receiving maintenance therapy. Two of the three patients who received maintenance IL-6 therapy had a persistent increase in platelet counts, during 3 and 12 months of IL-6 therapy, respectively. Laboratory studies indicated that IL-6 increased the frequency of higher ploidy megakaryocytes but did not significantly increase the number of assayable megakaryocytic progenitor cells, suggesting that IL-6 acts as a maturational agent rather than a megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factor. Although IL-6 therapy can promote thrombopoiesis in some MDS patients, its limited activity and significant therapy-related toxicity preclude its use as a single agent in this patient population. Further studies, combining low doses of IL-6 with other hematopoietic growth factors, are underway.
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U2 - 10.1182/blood.v85.11.3066.bloodjournal85113066
DO - 10.1182/blood.v85.11.3066.bloodjournal85113066
M3 - Article
C2 - 7538815
AN - SCOPUS:0029075385
VL - 85
SP - 3066
EP - 3076
JO - Blood
JF - Blood
SN - 0006-4971
IS - 11
ER -