Cytotoxic chemotherapy successfully induces durable complete remission in 2 patients with mosquito allergy resulting from Epstein-Barr virus-associated T-/natural killer cell lymphoproliferative disease.
Recent findings indicate that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected T-/natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of mosquito allergy, and most patients with mosquito allergy die early in life if not properly treated. Over the last 7 years, we have been using combination chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of EBV-associated T-/NK cell lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) in which chronic active EBV infection and mosquito allergy were included. As of this writing, we have successfully treated 2 patients with mosquito allergy with chemotherapy in which EBV-infected T-/NK cells were eradicated. The findings suggest the possible role of chemotherapy in the treatment of EBV-associated T-/NK cell LPD.
Department of Pediatrics, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Osaka, Japan. mahomet@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
M
M
Koyama
Y
Y
Takeshita
A
A
Sakata
A
A
Sawada
M
M
Yasui
T
T
Okamura
M
M
Inoue
K
K
Kawa
D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D009033:Culicidae; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous