Neuroendocrine effects of subcutaneous interleukin-2 injection in cancer patients.
Intravenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration has been shown to influence several hormonal secretions. The present study was carried out to investigate the endocrine effects of subcutaneous therapy with IL-2. Six patients with advanced renal cancer were studied. They were treated subcutaneously with IL-2 according to the schedule proposed by Atzpodien et al. Venous blood samples were collected at O-time and 1, 8 and 12 hours after the first IL-2 pulse of 9 X 10(6) IU/m2 at 8.00 a.m.; on a separate occasion, samples were collected during a saline infusion only. In each blood sample, serum levels of cortisol, beta-endorphin, GH, PRL, FSH, LH, TSH and the pineal hormone melatonin were measured by RIA. Both cortisol and beta-endorphin significantly increased after IL-2 injection. GH rose but not to a significant extent. PRL, FSH, LH and TSH did not change after IL-2. Finally, melatonin levels markedly decreased after IL-2 injection in the only 2 patients with elevated concentrations of this hormone before the start of immunotherapy. These results suggest that the endocrine effects of subcutaneous IL-2 therapy are similar to those previously described with intravenous administration.
Lissoni
P
P
Divisione di Radioterapia Oncologica, Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Milano, Italy.
Barni
S
S
Rovelli
F
F
Crispino
S
S
Fumagalli
G
G
Pescia
S
S
Vaghi
M
M
Camesasca
G
G
Tancini
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood
D007376:Interleukin-2; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D008550:Melatonin; D006854:Hydrocortisone