Effect of antitumor surgery on soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum levels.
Surgically induced immunosuppression may play a role in cancer, because of the possible existence of micrometastases at the time of surgical removal of tumors. Antitumor immune reactions are mediated by interleukin-2 (IL-2). IL-2 acts on a specific IL-2 cell surface receptor; moreover, a soluble form of IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) can be released in the blood. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of surgery on sIL-2R serum levels in patients with operable solid tumors. A total of 48 patients with cancer and 11 controls who underwent major surgery for non-neoplastic disease were evaluated before and 7 days after surgery. Serum mean levels of sIL-2R were significantly higher after than before surgery in both the cancer and control groups. No correlation was seen between surgery-induced changes in sIL-2R and in T lymphocyte subsets. Because of its capacity of binding to IL-2, the increased blood concentrations of sIL-2R could reduce the IL-2 availability and negatively affect antitumor immune reactions.
Brivio
F
F
Radiation Oncology Division, San Gerardo Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Lissoni
P
P
Mancini
D
D
Tisi
E
E
Tancini
G
G
Barni
S
S
Nociti
V
V
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000473:pathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000473:pathology
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2