Tilorone hydrochloride in the treatment of T cell lymphoproliferative cutaneous disease.

Tilorone hydrochloride was used to treat eleven patients with T cell cutaneous disease ranging from pre-Sézary syndrome to tumor-stage mycosis fungoides. Cutaneous histologic study, Sézary counts, delayed skin tests, patch tests, and quantitative T cell counts were monitored. The study revealed that the response to tilorone depends in part on the type and stage of disease, as well as the characteristics and responsiveness of the individual lymphocyte population. Patients with pre-Sézary syndrome are most likely to benefit from tilorone. The effect of tilorone on the T cell population is manifested by changes in responses to patch and skin tests, as well as histologic improvement. Intact immune responses and elevated levels of IgE may be important prognostic clinical parameters in these patients. Tilorone is ineffective in patients with mycosis fungoides and advanced Sézary syndrome. Keratopathy can be a limiting but reversible complication of therapy. The drug may provide an effective therapeutic step in the treatment of early T cell cutaneous disease or an adjunctive therapy to leukapheresis and chemotherapy.