Treatment of hairy cell leukemia with alpha interferons.

A review of clinical research with alpha interferons in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia is presented. The results of several studies have shown that alpha interferons effectively reduce leukemic infiltrates in the bone marrow and other organs, with attendant resolution of cytopenias. Alpha interferons have shown efficacy in the treatment of patients in all clinical stages of the disease, including those previously untreated, and may become the treatment choice for hairy cell leukemia. Hairy cell leukemia will also provide a useful human clinical model in which some of the fundamental mechanisms of interferon activity can be studied.