title: Cyclosporine A therapy for multisystem langerhans cell histiocytosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) remains difficult. Various regimens of single and multiagent chemotherapy have been used, but a significant proportion of patients fail to respond to treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have evaluated the use of cyclosporine A (CSA) in a controlled group of patients, who had received a systematic primary therapy (LCH-I). Patients received CSA either as a single agent (10 patients) or in combination with vinblastine, etoposide, prednisolone, and/or antithymocyte globulin (16 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total of 26 patients treated, a single patient developed a complete response and three a partial response, whereas 85% (22 patients) had no response to CSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSA is at best of limited value in the treatment of patients with multisystem LCH, particularly those who had progressive disease while receiving chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: St. Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria. minkov@ccri.univie.ac.at
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minkov
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grois
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jakobson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ladisch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine