Therapeutic Autologous Lymphocytes, Aldesleukin, and Denileukin Diftitox in Treating Patients With Stage III-IV Melanoma

RATIONALE: White blood cells that have been treated in a laboratory may be able to kill tumor cells in patients with melanoma. Aldesleukin and denileukin diftitox may stimulate the white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. Giving therapeutic autologous lymphocyte therapy together with aldesleukin and denileukin diftitox may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of giving therapeutic autologous lymphocytes together with aldesleukin and denileukin diftitox and to see how well it works in treating patients with stage III-IV melanoma

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the safety of cellular adoptive immunotherapy in melanoma patients using autologous CD8+ antigen-specific T-cell clones following CD25 lymphodepletion. II. Determine the influence of CD25 lymphodepletion on the duration of in vivo persistence of adoptively transferred CD8+ antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) clones. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the anti-tumor efficacy of cellular adoptive immunotherapy in melanoma patients using autologous CD8+ antigen-specific T cell clones following CD25 lymphodepletion. II. Evaluate the induction of T cells to non-targeted tumor-associated antigens (antigen-spreading) following adoptive transfer of CD8+ antigen-specific CTL and CD25 lymphodepletion. OUTLINE: This is a phase I study followed by a phase II study. Patients receive autologous T-cell intravenously (IV) over 30-60 minutes on days 0 and 28 and low-dose aldesleukin subcutaneously (SC) twice daily on days 0 to 13 and 28 to 41. Beginning 4-6 days before second T- cell infusion, patients receive denileukin diftitox IV over 30 minutes on days 1-3. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and then every 3 months thereafter.