Interferon-A 2a administration in chronic anergic brucellosis.

Two cases with chronic anergic brucellosis are described. Both patients suffered repeated disease relapses and responded poorly to conventional treatment. The immunologic research revealed that both patients were anergic to brucella antigens and immunocompromised. In an effort to restore patients' defective immune responses, we administered Interferon-A 2a during a six month treatment period as follows: a) loading dose- 3MU SC 3 days/week for an 8 week trial, followed by, b) maintenance period- 3MU SC three times/week. Our results showed that IFN administration induced clinical remission in both patients by the end of the 4th month of treatment. Additionally, Coombs' agglutination titers decreased gradually, the leucocyte migration index and the skin tests developed "energy" to antigens and the monocyte macrophage function tests were restored to normal. We concluded that IFN treatment can be beneficial in chronic anergic brucellosis by restoring defective immune responses, promoting therefore a sufficient inflammatory response against brucella infection.