title: Interleukin 2 therapy in infectious diseases: rationale and prospects.
abstract: Clinical trials using interleukin 2 as a therapeutic immunomodulating agent in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have recently begun. In this article we present data from studies which indicate the ability of interleukin 2 in vitro to augment clinically important cytotoxic immune responses in lymphocytes from these patients. These studies provide both a rationale for the current trials and a model for evaluating the potential for use of interleukin 2 in other infectious diseases. We outline the types of infectious diseases in which interleukin 2 may prove to be useful and the therapeutic strategies in which it may play a role.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2