title: Modification of interleukin-15 serum levels in workers exposed to chemotherapeutic agents.
abstract: Cytostatic anticancer drugs are known as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic risk factors for health care workers occupationally exposed. It has been demonstrated that the administration of interleukin-15 in rat models of colon carcinoma protects against chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicities. We found that occupational exposure to chemotherapeutic antiblastic agents in vivo modified circulating levels of interleukin-15 in 17 health care workers exposed to antineoplastic drugs in relation to their jobs and in as many healthy age- and sex-matched subjects. Health care workers displayed significantly higher circulating interleukin-15 levels compared to their age-matched controls. If this increase representing an anticancer response remains to be established, these findings strengthen the idea of a therapeutic use of interleukin-15 in the field of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Medicine-Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spatari
authors.forename: Concettina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fenga
authors.forename: Paola Lucia
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Minciullo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Pasquale
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ventura-Spagnolo
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gangemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008503:Medical Staff; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019409:Interleukin-15