Cryptosporidiosis after CD34-selected autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Treatment with paromomycin, azithromycin and recombinant human interleukin-2.

We report two cases of cryptosporidiosis after CD34-selected PBSCT for lymphoma. While the first patient died of pulmonary cryptosporidiosis, treatment with paromomycin, azithromycin and subcutaneous low-dose rhIL-2 to improve numerical and functional T lymphocyte defects completely eliminated infection in the second patient. We conclude, that the removal of mature T lymphocytes by positive selection of CD34+ cells bears the risk of a delayed immune reconstitution resulting in an increased incidence of severe and sometimes fatal opportunistic infections. IL-2 might be useful in this situation by accelerating immune reconstitution and reducing the danger of opportunistic infections.