A phase I/II study of chemotherapy followed by donor lymphocyte infusion plus interleukin-2 for relapsed acute leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The efficacy of donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for treatment of relapsed acute leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is limited. We hypothesized that interleukin-2 (IL-2) combined with DLI after chemotherapy might augment graft-versus-leukemia effects. To identify a safe and effective IL-2 regimen, a phase I/II study of DLI plus IL-2 therapy was performed for such patients.

Total body irradiation, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and autologous peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation followed by randomization to therapy with interleukin-2 versus observation for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: results of a phase 3 randomized trial by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG 9438).

To determine the effect of posttransplantation immunotherapy with IL-2 on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) after autologous stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT), patients with previously treated NHL were treated with cyclophosphamide, etoposide, total body irradiation (TBI), and PBSCT. Twenty-eight to 80 days after PBSCT, patients were randomized to IL-2 versus observation. Three hundred seventy-six eligible patients were registered (with 4-year PFS of 34% and 4-year OS of 52%), and 194 eligible patients were randomized to continuous infusion intravenous IL-2 (9 million units/m(2)/day for 4 days followed 5 days later by 1.

Risk factors for syngeneic graft-versus-host disease after adult hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Syngeneic graft-versus-host disease (sGVHD) has been described after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) but remains poorly defined. We retrospectively reviewed adult syngeneic HCTs at our center (1980-2002) for sGVHD to investigate incidence, morbidity, and risk factors with a primary focus on parity. Among 119 transplantations, there were 21 cases of biopsy-proven sGVHD.

Induction of complete remission of advanced stage mycosis fungoides by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Advanced mycosis fungoides (MF) is incurable with conventional treatments. High-dose chemoradiotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation has induced remissions in a small number of patients with MF, but this modality is limited by a high relapse rate. We report induction of complete remission in a 37-year-old woman with rapidly progressive stage IV MF with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Allo SCT).

Multiparameter cytokine-specific affinity matrix assay for the determination of frequencies and phenotype of antigen-reactive T cells.

A major challenge in Phase I clinical trials of cancer vaccines is how to identify the optimal regimen and/or dosing for Phase II and III trials. Immunologic responses to tumor-associated antigens (TAA) could potentially serve as surrogate markers. Assays which detect cytokine production and/or secretion by antigen (Ag)-reactive T cells are increasingly being used to monitor such responses in clinical trials.