roquinimex and Skin-Diseases

Roquinimex is being used for posttransplantation immunotherapy of autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia. This immunotherapeutic agent is a cytokine inducer and may induce an autologous graft-versus-host (GVH) and graft-versus-tumor reactions.. Our purpose was to examine patients undergoing this immunotherapy for clinical signs and symptoms of acute GVH reactions and to correlate these symptoms with their clinical outcome.. We studied eight patients receiving requinimex therapy.. We found autologous GVH reactions in three of eight patients (38%) treated with this immunotherapy. Their disease was manifested by localized or widespread violaceous papules that on histologic evaluation were compatible with a grade II GVH reaction. The acute cutaneous GVH reaction was associated with eccrine sweat gland necrosis, a dermatologic toxicity usually associated with chemotherapy.. Long-term studies of larger numbers of patients treated with this immunotherapy will determine whether these GVH reactions confer significant, sustained, antitumor effects.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Female; Graft vs Host Reaction; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Leukemia, Myeloid; Male; Middle Aged; Necrosis; Skin; Skin Diseases; Sweat Glands; Transplantation, Autologous

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma; Child, Preschool; Dermatofibrosarcoma; Drug Eruptions; Female; Graft vs Host Disease; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Granuloma; Hidradenitis; Histiocytosis, Sinus; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Lymphatic Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Myxedema; Nevus; Paraproteinemias; Skin Diseases; Syphilis; Xanthomatosis