Abstract
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are characterized by an infiltration of the skin with malignant T cells. Curative treatments for aggressive entities such as Sézary syndrome have not been identified yet. Arsenic trioxide (AsO<sub>3</sub>) is used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia in combination with retinoids. As the latter are established treatment options in CTCL, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of AsO<sub>3</sub> for mono- and combination therapy in vitro. Analyses for apoptosis, cell cycle inhibition, cytotoxicity and cell viability were made after incubation of CTCL cells with AsO<sub>3</sub> alone or in combination with the retinoids all-trans-retinoic acid or bexarotene. While AsO<sub>3</sub> induced apoptosis, retinoids did not at the time point of analysis. However, retinoids strongly reduced cell viability. Due to the efficient apoptosis induction, AsO<sub>3</sub> might be a potentially suitable agent for CTCL treatment, although this effect was not increased by retinoids.
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