Alefacept in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma or Peripheral T-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) or peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Diagnostic biopsies must have been obtained within the past 6 months

Relapsed or refractory disease

Patients with CTCL must have failed ≥ 2 skin-directed therapies

No limit on the number of prior therapies

Measurable disease, defined as at least 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion > 2 cm by CT scan, MRI, physical exam, or photograph with appended ruler

At least 2 bidimensionally measurable target lesions required for patients with skin lesions only
No CNS lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

ECOG performance status 0-2
Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3
Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR direct bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
AST ≤ 3 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN if liver involvement)
Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
Willing to provide all research blood samples as required by the protocol
Willing to undergo repeat biopsy of either an accessible skin lesion or lymph node, if there are no circulating sezary cells, for the purpose of research studies (patients without easily accessible lesions are not required to have a repeat biopsy solely for research purposes but must be willing to provide a portion of the on-study biopsy or a previous lymphoma biopsy, if available)
No known congenital or acquired immunodeficiency syndromes, including HIV
No known active viral hepatitis or tuberculosis infection
No uncontrolled infection
No other uncontrolled serious medical condition unrelated to lymphoma (e.g., cardiac arrhythmia or diabetes)
No other active malignancies
No history of serious allergic reaction to citrate or glycine

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics
More than 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
More than 3 weeks since prior denileukin diftitox
More than 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (less than 3 weeks if the acute side effects of this therapy are resolved)
More than 2 weeks since prior oral corticosteroids (unless being used to treat adrenal insufficiency)
More than 2 weeks since prior phototherapy, including ultraviolet B and psoralen with ultraviolet A
More than 1 week since prior biologic therapy
No concurrent chemotherapy, other immunotherapy, or radiotherapy
No other concurrent investigational agents