Investigations on the subclinical and clinical nephrotoxicity of interferon alpha-2B in patients with myeloproliferative syndromes.

Since the introduction of interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) into clinical oncology there have been several reports dealing with acute renal failure during therapy with this new type of anticancer drug. We investigated 58 patients (pts) with myeloproliferative syndromes (56 pts with chronic myelogenous leukemia, 2 pts with essential thrombocythemia) who were treated with 4 x 10(6) IU IFN alpha-2b each day subcutaneously. In order to assess the nephrotoxic potential we used the following noninvasive methods: 1.

The synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue rioprostil reduces the nephrotoxic potential of cyclosporine A.

Acute CyA nephrotoxicity involves alteration in the proximal tubule and leads to glomerular lesions. Administration of a vasodilatator agent such as the prostaglandin E1 analogue Rioprostil (Bayer AG, BAY 06893) might prevent preglomerular vasoconstriction and hence reduce cyclosporin nephrotoxicity. As an increased excretion of urinary enzymes as a consequence of CyA-nephrotoxicity is well known we investigated in 40 male Wistar rats the excretion of three urinary enzymes: the brush border enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), the leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and the lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG).

Folate nephropathy occurring during cytotoxic chemotherapy with high-dose folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil.

High-dose folinic acid with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a novel combination chemotherapy used in the treatment of metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. One of the mechanisms of action of 5-FU is its conversion into fluorodeoxyuridylate (FdUMP), which inhibits thymidilate synthetase (TS). The rate of inhibition of TS is augmented by increasing concentrations of folinic acid.