A clinical trial of active immunotherapy with anti-idiotypic vaccine in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of active immunotherapy with anti-idiotypic vaccine in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
Anti-idiotypic antibodies (2H4/5D3) bearing the internal image of the NPC antigen were used in active immunotherapy in NPC patients receiving radiotherapy. Antibodies and cytokine levels in patient sera were determined using ELISA before and after active immunotherapy. IL-2 mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was measured by in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
Nineteen patients with NPC at stage IV were treated with alum-precipitated 2H4 or 5D3. Neither hypersensitivity nor adverse side effects were observed. The levels of anti-anti-idiotypic antibodies (Ab3) and anti-NPC antibodies (Ab1') were increased. Human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) were seen in 19 patients of the experimental group; the levels of Ab1' did not increase in the control group. Serum IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha levels were increased in most patients in the experimental group, while no differences were observed in Ab1' and cytokine levels between pre- and post-therapy in the control group. In addition, IL-2 mRNA expression in PBMCs from NPC patients was closely related to serum IL-2 (r = + 0.8829) levels by in situ hybridization.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-idiotype vaccine is safe for clinical active immunotherapy. Anti-idiotypic vaccine might be able to enhance humoral and/or cellular immunity in NPC patients receiving radiotherapy.
Cancer Research Institute, Xiang-Ya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
Guancheng
G
Li
Lu
L
Xie
Guohua
G
Zhou
Hongpu
H
Fu
Jianhua
J
Zhou
Qubing
Q
Sun
D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma