A Pilot Study of the Combination of Retinoic Acid and Interferon-Alpha2a for the Treatment of Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Children With Immunodeficiency Syndromes

Summary

Patients with congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies are at an increased risk to develop polyclonal or oligoclonal lymphoid malignancies. Some develop a lymphoproliferative disorder that can follow a clinically aggressive course and may represent a pre-malignant lesion. Although most of these lymphoproliferative disorders are of B-cell origin, T-cell or non-B-non-T-cell processes have also been observed. The pathogenesis is only partially understood. In the case of pre-malignant conditions it is often difficult to know when and whether a therapeutic intervention is necessary and a careful consideration of potential treatment-associated morbidity is indicated. Therapies have ranged from influencing the possible infectious etiology (by treating with acyclovir), decreasing the amount of immunosuppression (in transplant patients), to the use of immunomodulatory agents, including interferons and interleukins. Recent data have indicated that the use of differentiating agents, such as the retinoids, might offer yet another treatment option. In the current study we will try to get a better understanding of the pathogenesis and natural course of lymphoproliferative disorders in immunodeficient children. The study will have two parts: an initial observation period to obtain information on the natural course of these disorders, and then a six month treatment period with the combination of a differentiating agent (13-cis-retinoic acid was used until all-trans-retinoic acid became available on 7/96) with an immunomodulatory agent (interferon-alpha2a, IFN-alpha2a).

Timeline

Start

1995-06

Primary completion

—

Completion

2000-12

Publications

• Background Sidell N, Taga T, Hirano T, Kishimoto T, Saxon A. Retinoic acid-induced growth inhibition of a human myeloma cell line via down-regulation of IL-6 receptors. J Immunol. 1991 Jun 1;146(11):3809-14.
• Background Su IJ, Cheng AL, Tsai TF, Lay JD. Retinoic acid-induced apoptosis and regression of a refractory Epstein-Barr virus-containing T cell lymphoma expressing multidrug-resistance phenotypes. Br J Haematol. 1993 Dec;85(4):826-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1993.tb03235.x.
• Background Aviles A, Diaz-Maqueo JC, Garcia EL, Talavera A, Guzman R. Maintenance therapy with interferon alfa 2b in patients with diffuse large cell lymphoma. Invest New Drugs. 1992 Nov;10(4):351-5. doi: 10.1007/BF00944195.

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Indications