Hypertriglyceridemia during long-term interferon-alpha therapy in a series of hematologic patients.

Adverse reactions to interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy include flu-like syndrome, bone marrow suppression, neurotoxic effects, and autoimmunity. A slight increase in triglyceride levels has been described less frequently during IFN-α administration. The incidence of IFN-α-induced hypertriglyceridemia seems variable, and there are no clear data on how to treat it. We report the effect of long-term (more than 12 months) IFN-α treatment on triglyceride levels in 43 patients suffering from hairy cell leukemia (18), multiple myeloma (10), chronic myelogenous leukemia (6), cryoglobulinemia (5), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (3), and Sezary syndrome (1). Hypertriglyceridemia was found in 6 patients (15%). In 3 patients, gemfibrozil restored normal triglyceride values. This study suggests that hypertriglyceridemia is a minor side effect of long-term IFN-α therapy and that gemfibrozil might be considered the treatment of choice.