Reactivation of DNA viruses in association with histone deacetylase inhibitor therapy: A case series report

Abstract

Histone deacetylase inhibitors are a class of anti-neoplastic agents that induce growth arrest, differentiation, and/or apoptotic cell death of transformed cells in vitro and in vivo. A phase II study exploring the efficacy of romidepsin, an histone deacetylase inhibitor, in patients with cutaneous or peripheral T-cell lymphomas was initiated at the National Cancer Institute. To date, over 120 patients with T-cell lymphoma have been treated on a multi-institutional phase II trial of romidepsin. Reactivation of latent DNA viruses including EBV, HBV, and VZV is well described as a consequence of the immune suppression associated with systemic chemotherapy. The incidence of viral reactivation i..