Abstract
Nineteen immunosuppressed patients with varicella zoster were enrolled in a randomized crossover 10 day trial of adenine arabinoside. Of 14 with reticuloendothelial malignancy, 7 were receiving active chemotherapy. Age, sex, underlying disease, and preceding chemotherapy were comparable for both randomization groups. Eight patients received drug over the first 5 days and placebo the next 5; while 11 received the exact opposite regimen. In spite of natural healing in the placebo group, adenine arabinoside significantly accelerated cutaneous healing for the elimination of virus from vesicles (P = 0.015) and cessation of new vesicle formation (P = 0.026). Although pustulation was not statistically accelerated, all treated patients had completely pustulated by the time of crossover. Five patients, all with reticuloendothelial cancer, developed pneumonitis and, because of the crossover received adenine arabinoside during their disease course. The mean duration of pneumonitis was 5.6 days ± 2.1 (range: 3 to 8). Resolution was temporally associated with therapy. There were no study deaths. Clinical and laboratory evidence of toxicity was insignificant at the dose employed. These data for therapy of primary varicella zoster infection support the larger study demonstrating accelerated healing and satisfactory therapeutic index in herpes zoster with adenine arabinoside.
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Whitley, R., Dolin, R., Galasso, G. et al. ADENINE ARABINOSIDE THERAPY OF VARICELLA ZOSTER IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS. Pediatr Res 11, 509 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00836
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00836