title: Infectious complications of purine analog therapy.
abstract: Patients with lymphoid malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, particularly those who receive the newer purine analogs, are at increased risk for infectious morbidity and mortality. Defects in cell-mediated immunity appear to be a major predisposing factor in these patients. An expanding spectrum of pathogens associated with lymphocytopenia and depletion of CD4 has been described in the setting of therapy with purine analogs. During the past 2 years new knowledge about the immunosuppression related to that treatment has continued to accumulate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Samonis
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kontoyiannis
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017338:Cladribine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate; C042382:fludarabine phosphate; D015649:Pentostatin; D017338:Cladribine