Recombinant interferon gamma lb and low dose steroid in two pediatric cases of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia

We report two young girls, the first almost 18 years old and the second 12 1/2 years old, affected with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, both diagnosed at the age of 11 by open lung biopsy and both being treated with low-dose steroid. Due to insufficient response to conventional therapy and based on positive therapeutic results following the use of subcutaneous recombinant interferon gamma-1b in fibrosing interstitial pneumonias of adults, they were given a 1-year trial of subcutaneous recombinant interferon gamma-lb in association with a steroid. Our experience with these two young patients suggests that interferon gamma-lb cannot be considered as stabilizing or a curative therapy to control or reverse nonspecific interstitial pneumonia unresponsive to steroids alone.