title: Immunological effects of a single evening subcutaneous injection of low-dose interleukin-2 in association with the pineal hormone melatonin in advanced cancer patients.
abstract: Recent experiments have shown that a great variety of neurohormones can interact with IL-2 in the modulation of host antitumor immune response. On the basis of these data, a study was started to evaluate the effect of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) on IL-2-induced immune changes in cancer. The study included 30 advanced cancer patients. They were randomized to be treated with IL-2 at a dose of 3 million IU subcutaneously twice/daily (8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m.) for 6 days/week for 4 weeks, with IL-2 once/daily in the evening, with IL-2 once/daily plus MLT at 10 or at 50 mg/day. MLT was given orally at 8.00 p.m. Both IL-2 given twice daily and IL-2 given once daily and IL-2 given once daily in association with MTL induced a significant increase in mean number of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, NK cells, CD25-positive cells and eosinophils, whereas the single administration of IL-2 alone was unable to determine a significant rise in the mean number of immune cells. Soluble IL-2 receptor and neopterin increase was significantly higher during IL-2 given twice/daily than during IL-2 plus MLT, while no difference was seen in TNF rise. This study would suggest that a single daily injection of low-dose IL-2 is able to efficiently activate the lymphocyte proliferation in cancer patients when it is given in association with the pineal hormone MLT.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lissoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardizzoia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brivio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tancini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Maestroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D008550:Melatonin