title: Characteristics and stage of the underlying diseases could determine the risk of opportunistic infections in patients receiving alemtuzumab.
abstract: Alemtuzumab is usually associated with opportunistic infections. We have treated 67 patients, 8 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 59 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with campath. Among CLL patients, 6 used alemtuzumab in first line, alone or with chemotherapy, 41 as consolidation therapy and 11 as salvage therapy, 3 alone and 8 with chemotherapy. In our series opportunistic infections were prevalently found in patients submitted to alemtuzumab salvage therapy (33.3%), with or without chemotherapy; in particular 1 pulmonary nocardiosis, 1 tubercolosis. Also during the first line alemtuzumab therapy one case of lysteriosis and one case of HBV reactivation were found (33.3%). No opportunistic infections were diagnosed to our CLL patients in consolidation therapy, when the underlying hematologic disease was reduced or present only as minimal residual disease. A good response of malignancy, namely CLL, to induction therapy, such as a less aggressive schedule of therapy, determine a lower risk of immunosuppression and therefore a low number of opportunistic infections.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nosari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montillo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000633:toxicity; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002452:Cell Count; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000074323:Alemtuzumab