• Toxicity [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  
• Potential of adoptive immunotherapy [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• In vivo biodistribution, expansion, and duration of engraftment [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Incidence, kinetics, and durability of pathological and/or clinical responses [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the toxicity and therapeutic potential of adoptive immunotherapy with Epstein Barr virus (EBV) specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes derived from HLA-histocompatible related donors in the treatment of patients with EBV-induced lymphomas and other lymphoproliferative diseases in immunocompromised hosts.
• Evaluate in vivo biodistribution, expansion, and duration of engraftment of successive doses of EBV-reactive lymphocytes within immunocompromised histocompatible hosts with EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases, and correlate these findings with the patients' T-cell populations, general immune status, and capacity to generate allospecific antidonor response.
• Determine incidence, kinetics, and durability of pathologic and/or clinical responses in this patient population treatment with infusions of these EBV-specific T cells.

OUTLINE: This is a dose escalation study. Patients are stratified according to graft vs host disease risk (high vs low).

Patients receive adoptive immunotherapy with allogeneic Epstein Barr virus (EBV) specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes IV on days 1, 8, and 15. Courses repeat every 3 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

The dose of allogeneic EBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes is escalated in cohorts of 3-6 patients until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose limiting toxicity.

Patients are followed every 2 weeks for 6 months, every 2 months for 2 years, and then every 4 months until disease progression.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 3-18 patients per stratum will be accrued for this study within 1-2 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Pathologically documented Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphoma or other lymphoproliferative disease

• Immunocompromised as a consequence of:

  • Genetic or acquired immunodeficiency (including AIDS)
  • Allogeneic bone marrow or organ transplant

• Normal lymphocyte donor related to patient or, for organ allografts, to organ:

  • Immunocompetent
  • HLA compatible
  • EBV seropositive
  • HIV negative
  • Organ donors at least HLA haplotype-identical with the lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• No moribund patients

Life expectancy:

• At least 9 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• Pregnant women eligible

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified