title: A pilot study of cidofovir in patients with kaposi sarcoma.
abstract: A clinical trial was conducted to test the activity of cidofovir (CDV), a drug with in vitro activity against Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), in KS. Five patients with human immunodeficiency virus-associated KS (4 receiving antiretroviral therapy) and 2 patients with classical KS were administered CDV (5 mg/kg/dose) weekly for 2 weeks and then every other week. All 7 patients had progression of their KS at a median of 8.1 weeks (range, 5-27 weeks). Skin biopsy specimens of KS lesions showed no change in expression of latent or early lytic genes, but, in the 1 assessable patient, there was decreased expression of a late lytic gene. There was no decrease in the virus load of KSHV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This study does not provide proof of principle for the treatment of KS with CDV. However, it remains possible that antiherpesvirus therapy can be developed for herpes-induced tumors.
authors.affiliation: HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Florentino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Merced-Galindez
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Staskus
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitby
authors.forename: Yoshiyasu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pluda
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Welles
authors.forename: Isaac R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Chavez
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pittaluga
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosato
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yarchoan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077404:Cidofovir; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063065:Organophosphonates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D063065:Organophosphonates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D003596:Cytosine; D000077404:Cidofovir