A possible role for IVIg in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma: a clinical case and an experimental model.
A patient with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) was treated with IVIg for multiple sclerosis. Her MPNST course was remarkably longer and more indolent than expected; she achieved a disease-free interval (DFI) of 30 months. Seven other patients, who were not treated by IVIg, had a relatively aggressive course (median DFI 3 months). These results led us to examine the effect of IVIg on the growth of sarcoma in vitro and in vivo in an experimental model of MCA-bearing mice. When added to MCA-105 sarcoma cell cultures, IVIg produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation. The maximal inhibitory effect was at a concentration of 50 mg/ml IVIg. Cell cycle analysis revealed a hypodiploid peak at the lower fluorescence values which appeared in the samples treated with IVIg. These results demonstrate that the anti-proliferative activity results from an apoptotic effect of IVIg on the tumor cells. In a second set of experiments, we evaluated the capability of IVIg, when administered orally or subcutaneously, to inhibit the growth of MCA-105 sarcoma lung metastases. A decrease in the mean lung weight was observed in the mice that were treated by s.c. or oral administration, the latter being more effective. A possible role for IVIg in the treatment of MPNST and other soft tissue sarcomas is suggested.
Merimsky
Ofer
O
Department of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. merimsky@zahav.net.il
Meller
Isaac
I
Inbar
Moshe
M
Bar-Yehuda
Sara
S
Shoenfeld
Yehuda
Y
Fishman
Pnina
P
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008875:Middle Aged; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D013936:Thymidine