title: Perilymphatic injections of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) partially correct the immunologic defects in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are severely immunocompromised. In virtually all such patients who have been studied, reduced numbers of circulating CD3+ T-cell-receptor (TCR)alpha/beta+ T lymphocytes, a reduction of natural killer (NK) activity, and a poor induction of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity (following in vitro treatment with recombinant interleukin-2 [rIL-2]) have been detected. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that perilymphatic injections of low doses of rIL-2 may induce a local reduction of tumor masses in these patients. The present study, a cooperative pilot effort on the clinical effects of this route of administration, showed an activation of the lytic machinery in lymphocytes belonging to the T-cell lineage, as well as a potentiation of NK activity in the peripheral blood. These findings demonstrated that the severe immunodeficiency of HNSCC patients may be at least partially corrected by in vivo administration of rIL-2.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Margarino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mereu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoglio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schenone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbaresi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Machí
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badellino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D007272:Injections, Intralymphatic; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010498:Perilymph; D010641:Phenotype; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins