Complete remission of multiple myeloma after autoimmune hemolytic anemia: possible association with interferon-alpha.
American journal of hematology 2007 Jun 1; 82(6):489-92
Gesundheit B, Zelig O, Shapira M MY, Ackerstein A, Avgil M, Or R
Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology Research Center, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. gesund@hadassah.org.il
A patient with multiple myeloma (MM) was being maintained on human recombinant interferon-alpha (INF-alpha) after VAD and autologous bone marrow transplantation (pretreated with melphalan). An episode of immune thrombocytopenia and (Coombs positive) autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) was noted while on maintenance INF-alpha, which remitted when it was withdrawn. Following this event, he achieved a state of stable disease that persists (more than 3 years) with no specific myeloma treatment. This sequence of events suggests a relationship between an immunological reaction induced by INF-alpha and the prolonged phase of stable disease.