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ContextSevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new clinical entity for which no effective therapeutic strategy has been developed.ObjectiveTo provide preliminary results on the potential therapeutic benefit and tolerability of interferon alfacon-1 plus corticosteroids for SARS.Design, Setting, and PatientsOpen-label study of 22 patients diagnosed as having probable SARS at North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, between April 11 and May 30, 2003.InterventionsThirteen patients were treated with corticosteroids alone and 9 patients were treated with corticosteroids plus subcutaneous interferon alfacon-1.Main Outcome MeasuresClinical parameters, including oxygen saturation and requirement, laboratory measures, and serial chest radiography results.ResultsResolution of fever and lymphopenia were similar between the 2 treatment groups. Of the 13 patients treated with corticosteroids alone, 5 (38.5 …