Infectious complications of purine analog therapy

Patients with lymphoid malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, p articularly those who receive the newer purine analogs, are at increased ri sk for infectious morbidity and mortality. Defects in cell-mediated immunit y 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 th e past 2 years new knowledge about the immunosuppression related to that tr eatment has continued to accumulate. Curr Opin Infect Dis 14:409-413. (C) 2 001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.