Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Pathologically confirmed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including any of the following:

Refractory anemia (RA)
RA with ringed sideroblasts
Refractory cytopenias with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD)
RCMD with ringed sideroblasts
RA with excess blasts 1 (5-9% blasts)
RA with excess blasts 2 (10-19% blasts)

Must have poor-risk MDS, defined by the following:

At least 2 lineages involved
Unfavorable cytogenetics (i.e., abnormalities of chromosome 5 or 7, 11q23, t[6;9], trisomy 8, inv3, or multiple/complex karyotype)
Transfusion requirement of > 2 units of packed red blood cells monthly
No chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
No transformation to acute myeloid leukemia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status 0-2
Creatinine < 2.5 mg/dL
Bilirubin < 2.5 mg/dL (unless due to Gilbert's syndrome)
Room air oxygen saturation ≥ 94% at rest
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
Negative pregnancy test
No other malignancy within the past 5 years except in situ cervical cancer or adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer

No active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease requiring systemic immunosuppressants including, but not limited to, any of the following:

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura
Inflammatory bowel disease
Vasculitis
Thyroiditis
Rheumatic illnesses
No known HIV serum antibody positivity
No other disease requiring long-term corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants, such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

At least 2 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclosporine, azathioprine, tacrolimus, or mycophenolate mofetil)
At least 3 weeks since prior growth factors
At least 2 months since prior azacitidine for MDS
No prior bone marrow or other organ transplantation
No concurrent cytotoxic-based therapy for MDS
No other concurrent growth factors, including epoetin alfa, filgrastim (G-CSF), or sargramostim (GM-CSF)