Low-dose recombinant IL-2 induces psychological changes: monitoring by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).
BACKGROUND
Chronic subcutaneous rIL-2 at low doses produces long-lasting immunomodulatory effects and is considered an effective treatment for renal cell carcinoma with marginal activity in malignant melanoma and colorectal cancer.


METHODS
In this study we evaluated, by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the psychological changes induced by rIL-2 in 10 patients with advanced tumors.


RESULTS
After 3 months of rIL-2 treatment, 80% of the patients had a significantly increased score on the clinical scale of depression (D) and psychasthenia (Pt) (p<0.01), 70% on the scale of conversion hysteria (Hy) and 60% on the scales of schizophrenia (Sc) and psychopathic deviate (Pd), (p<0.05). These MMPI changes were however not paralleled by disease progression or clinical-overt psychological disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that low-dose rIL-2 is a psychoactive treatment, which deserves psychological monitoring The MMPI is feasible for the evaluation of subclinical psychological modifications induced by cytokine immunotherapy.
Pizzi
Claudia
C
Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale e Clinica, Università degli Studi Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Caraglia
Michele
M
Cianciulli
Maria
M
Fabbrocini
Antonietta
A
Libroia
Anna
A
Matano
Elide
E
Contegiacomo
Alma
A
Del Prete
Salvatore
S
Abbruzzese
Alberto
A
Martignetti
Angelo
A
Tagliaferri
Pierosandro
P
Bianco
Angelo Raffaele
AR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins