Studies on Antibody Formation in Patients Treated with L-Asparaginase

Twenty-six patients were treated by daily intravenous or intramuscular injections of L-asparaginase (Bayer A) in doses of 200 IU/kg body weight or, in three cases, 1000 IU/kg. Treatment usually lasted for a period of 28 days. Twenty patients (14 children and 6 adults) had acute leukemia and the remaining patients had different types of solid tumors. Among the children with leukemia eight achieved complete remission and three partial remission. Of the remaining three children two died within 2 weeks without signs of remission and one failed to respond to 4 weeks of treatment. All adults with leukemia and all patients with solid tumors also failed to respond.