Effects of Recombinant Interferon-α2Treatment upon Lipid Concentrations and Lipoprotein Composition

Abstract

Interferon-α₂ (IFN-α₂) produced by recombinant DNA technology and purified to homogeneity, was assessed for effects on plasma lipids and lipoprotein composition in 10 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Patients received 30 × 10⁶ U/m² IFN intravenously for 5 consecutive days every 3 weeks. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were significantly decreased after 3 days of IFN administration (171 ± 37 mg/dl, mean ± SD) when compared with pretreatment concentrations (211 ± 28 mg/dl, p < 0.05). Approximately 34% of the decrease in plasma cholesterol concentration was contributed by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Significant decreases in plasma HDL cholesterol (44 ± 8 to 34 ± 7 mg/dl, p < 0.05) and apolipoprotein A-1 concentrations (124 ± 14 to 95 ± 17 mg/dl, p < 0.05) occurred. Although decreases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations contributed to the majority of the total decrease observed in plasma cholesterol, IFN did not alter the cholesterol-to-protein ratio of the LDL. When IFN-α₂ was discontinued, alterations in plasma lipoproteins returned to pretreatment levels. Plasma triglyceride concentrations were not influenced by IFN treatment nor did administration of IFN decrease very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). The overall effect of recombinant (r) IFN-α₂ on lipid composition was to reduce LDL and HDL without alteration of VLDL or triglycerides.