title: The intrapleural administration of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) to patients with malignant pleural effusion: clinical trials.
abstract: Recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) was administered intrapleurally according to an original protocol to 11 patients with malignant pleural effusion, 7 of whom suffered from breast cancer and 4 from esophageal cancer. The pleural effusions either disappeared or decreased roentgenographically, and malignant cells disappeared from all 13 pleural cavities in the 11 patients, confirming the validity of this therapy to be 100%. The mean survival time from the initial administration of rIL-2 was 15.9 months. We ensured that the concentration of IL-2 in the effusion was maintained at a high level for a sufficient period of time, and that the lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity of lymphocytes in the effusion was augmented. Fever, eosinophilia, and a transient increase in the pleural effusion were the main side effects, but the symptoms were temporary and not serious. The results of this study therefore suggest the efficacy of intrapleural rIL-2 for patients with malignant pleural effusion.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins