title: Monocytes and neutrophils as 'bad guys' for the outcome of interleukin-2 with and without histamine in metastatic renal cell carcinoma--results from a randomised phase II trial.
abstract: Histamine (HDC) inhibits formation and release of phagocyte-derived reactive oxygen species, and thereby protects natural killer (NK) and T cells against oxidative damage. Thus, the addition of histamine may potentially improve the efficacy of interleukin-2 (IL-2). We have explored this potential mechanism clinically in two randomised phase II trials in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). In parallel with the clinical trial in Denmark (n=63), we obtained serial blood samples and tumour biopsies searching for a potential histamine effect in situ. At baseline and on-treatment weeks 3 and 8, we monitored the 'good guys' (i.e. NK and T cells) and 'bad guys' (i.e. monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils) simultaneously in blood (n=59) and tumour tissue (n=44). Patients with high number of monocytes and neutrophils in peripheral blood had very poor survival, with apparently no benefit from either IL-2 alone or IL-2/HDC treatment. Blood monocytes (r=-0.36, P=0.01) and neutrophils (r=-0.46, P=0.001) were negatively correlated with cytotoxicity, whereas blood NK cells were positively correlated with cytotoxicity (r=0.39, P=0.002). Treatment with IL-2 alone resulted in a significantly higher number of circulating monocytes (P=0.037) and intratumoral macrophages (P=0.005) compared with baseline. In contrast, IL-2/HDC resulted in an unchanged number of circulating monocytes and intratumoral macrophages, and in addition, a significantly increased number of intratumoral CD56(+) NK cells (P=0.008) and CD8(+) T cells (P=0.019) compared with baseline. The study provides evidence that circulating monocytes and neutrophils are powerful negative prognostic factors for IL-2-based immunotherapy and establishes a biological rationale for the potential use of histamine in conjunction with IL-2 in mRCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. fd@microbiology.au.dk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donskov
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hokland
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marcussen
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Torp Madsen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von der Maase
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D006632:Histamine