title: Interferon and natural killer activity in multiple myeloma. Lack of correlation between interferon-induced enhancement of natural killer activity and clinical response to human interferon-alpha.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) activity of peripheral lymphocytes was measured in 39 patients with multiple myeloma prior to and during interferon (IFN) therapy. NK activity increased in a majority of patients following the first injection of IFN and remained at an increased level during 1 year of therapy. Lower doses of IFN seemed to induce a greater increase in NK activity than higher doses. No correlations could be observed between the response of the tumors to IFN therapy and pretreatment levels of NK activity, IFN-induced enhancement of NK activity in vitro or IFN-induced enhancement of NK activity in vivo.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007372:Interferons