title: Serum levels of cytokines and soluble cytokine receptors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma receiving IL-2/interferon-alpha combination therapy.
abstract: Elevated serum levels of soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR-55) and (at a lesser degree) of sTNFR-75 were found in most of the patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or malignant melanoma (MM) before immunotherapy and with further increase during treatment (intravenous infusions of interleukin-2 [IL-2] and subcutaneous interferon-alpha [IFN-alpha]). In the majority of the patients with MM the pretreatment serum levels of IL-2 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were increased, whereas fewer patients with RCC presented with increased serum levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R. Twelve days' treatment with IL-2/IFN-alpha, with a rest on days 6 and 7, resulted in a consistent further increase in the serum levels of sIL-2R and sTNFRs. In most patients the increase of sIL-2R and sTNFRs lasted for at least 3 weeks after treatment discontinuation. The clinical significance of the increase remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Radiotherapy, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fosså
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aamdal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naume
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gallati
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine