The effect of interleukin 11 on thrombocytopenia associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.
Parole chiave
Astratto
BACKGROUND
During therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), approximately 20% to 50% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develop grade >or=3 thrombocytopenia leading to treatment interruptions and dose reductions. Interleukin 11 (IL-11) reduces the incidence and the severity of thrombocytopenia in solid tumors.
METHODS
The authors investigated the efficacy and safety of low-dose IL-11 for improving thrombocytopenia associated with TKI therapy in 14 patients with CML. The starting dose of IL-11 was 10 microg/kg 3 times weekly, and the dose was escalated by 1 dose level every 2 weeks if the patients had no sustained platelet increase.
RESULTS
The median patient age was 52 years. The median platelet count at the time IL-11 was started was 37 x 10(9)/L. All patients had prior TKI dose reductions. After the initiation of IL-11, 8 of 14 patients (57%) had an increase in platelet count with a median peak platelet count of 110 x 10(9)/L. One additional patient had no platelet increase but was able to tolerate an imatinib dose increase. Eleven patients had a decrease in the number of days of TKI therapy interruption secondary to thrombocytopenia after the initiation of IL-11 (6% of total treatment time vs 34% of total treatment time before IL-11). Therapy was well tolerated.
CONCLUSIONS
The current results indicated that IL-11 may correct thrombocytopenia associated with TKI therapy for patients with CML and that it has a favorable toxicity profile.
