The influence of protein malnutrition on T cell, natural killer cell, and lymphokine-activated killer cell function, and on biological responsiveness to high-dose interleukin-2.
Protein malnutrition is prevalent in cancer patients, however the influence of protein-calorie malnutrition on anti-tumor immune effector mechanisms is unclear. In addition, the effect of malnutrition on host immunological and biological responsiveness to recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) is unknown. In Swiss mice (n = 100), we observed that T cell activation, T cell response to rIL-2, T suppressor cell generation, cytotoxic T lymphocyte development, and the cytolytic activity of LAK cells were not significantly impaired by two or three weeks of feeding with a 2.5% protein diet compared with mice fed an isocaloric diet in which protein calories constituted 24% of the total. In CBA/J mice (n = 100), we observed a significant (P less than 0.05) impairment of poly(I:C)-inducible natural killer cell function in mice ingesting the 2.5% diet. In both A/J (n = 40) and Swiss mice (n = 40), cytotoxic responses after 3 days treatment with rIL-2 (5 X 10(6) U/kg body wt. three times daily) were comparable in both dietary groups. These studies demonstrate that protein depletion is associated with impaired poly (I:C)-induced natural killer cell function in CBA/J mice. However, T cell function and biological responsiveness to high-dose rIL-2 were not significantly impaired.
Reynolds
J V
JV
Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
Shou
J A
JA
Sigal
R
R
Ziegler
M
M
Daly
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000628:therapy; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
D007376:Interleukin-2