Abstract

The pancreatic cholera syndrome is a serious and potentially fatal disease found in patients with endocrine pancreatic tumours and ganglioneuromas. Two patients with therapy-resistant pancreatic cholera syndrome were successfully treated with human leucocyte interferon given intramuscularly in a dose of 3 × 10 6-6× 10 6 IU per day. This produced a reduction in stool volume and plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) within 3-5 days of the start of treat ment. Tumour mass decreased in one of the patients after 3 months of treatment but some tumour tissue remained after 15 months' observation, although circulating concentrations of VIP are normal. The mechanisms of action of interferon are not known but a direct inhibition of tumour-cell hormone production and perhaps of tumour-cell proliferation might account for the rapid clinical response.

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