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Although in recent years the use of purine analogues has increased the percentage of long‐term complete response the effect on overall survival of HCL patients is not yet clear. This study aimed to evaluate the long‐term outcome (mean follow up of 92 months) of sixty‐four patients receiving IFN as first‐line therapy. IFN was well tolerated and effective. The overall response rate was 91% (PR 65%, CR 13%, GPR 13%). Forty‐one patients (63%) received IFN 3 MU/wk as maintenance therapy. The 10‐yr projected survival rate of responding patients (CR and GPR 100%; PR 95%) and non responders (SD, PD 80%) clearly shows that type of response does not affect survival. Patients receiving IFN maintenance had a statistically higher PFS than those who did not (p<0.01). This study shows that IFN is still one of the standard therapies for this disease, that achieving CR has no primary relevance for the control of the disease, and that good utilization of therapeutic resources may assure HCL patients a survival rate comparable to that of a normal, healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: comparative assessment of sensitivity and specificity of regional Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) by 133-Xenon inhalation and quantitative Electroencephalography (qEEG) in patients with Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (NP-SLE).Methods: Sixty-two combined rCBF and qEEG examinations were performed in fifty-two SLE patients. Group A: 27 SLE patients without NP-SLE; group B: 17 patients with florid (within 1 month) NP-SLE; group C: 12 patients with previous NP-SLE examined in the remission phase (four patients of which already considered in group B). The study also included data deriving from two sets of examinations in ten patients who were observed twice, in different phases of the clinical course of NP-SLE.Results: in comparison to healthy controls, rCBF was lower (p < .001) in group B only, whereas qEEG showed similar increases of both δ and 0 relative powers together with a reduction of α relative power in groups A-C. As compared to group A, sensitivity and specificity in detecting cerebral abnormalities in group B were 76% and 78% for rCBF, and 59% and 44% for qEEG, respectively. In the ten patients examined twice, rCBF was consis tent with clinical course in 90% of cases and qEEG in 60%.Conclusion: total accuracy in detecting cerebral functional abnormalities during florid NP-SLE is better by rCBF than by qEEG. rCBF and, in selected cases, qEEG examinations are reliable markers of NP-SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]