title: Serum levels of interleukins 2, 6 and 8, soluble interleukin-2 receptor and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 during treatment with interleukin-2 plus interferon-alfa.
abstract: In the present study we evaluated the haematological and immunological changes in 4 patients with advanced melanoma and 6 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with subcutaneous interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-alfa-2b. Serum samples taken before and during six weeks' courses of IL-2 plus IFN-alfa were assayed for the presence of IL-2, soluble IL-2-receptor (sIL-2R), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), IL-6 and IL-8. In addition, whole blood counts were taken. Eosinophilia occurred in all patients, lymphocytosis in 8 patients. The higher maximum level of IL-2 during treatment seemed to be connected to longer survival: it was a median of 578 pg/ml in the patients with a median survival of 7 months, and 1025 pg/ml in the patients who survived a median of 15 months. Conversely, an increase in sIL-2R was an unfavourable sign: it was a median of 8-fold and 3-fold in the patients with a median survival of 7 and 16 months, respectively. During treatment, sICAM-1 levels paralleled with those of sIL-2R. There was major intraindividual and interindividual variation in serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels with no distinctive kinetic pattern. Thus, no definite conclusions could be drawn. However, it seems worthwhile to measure IL-2, sIL-2R and sICAM-1 during immunotherapy; their prognostic value should be further evaluated in a larger patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vuoristo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soppi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1