Locoregional IL-2 therapy in the treatment of colon cancer. Cell-induced lesions of a murine model.
BACKGROUND
Local therapy with IL-2 may be very effective in the treatment of different forms of cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of IL-2 locoregional application in the treatment of colon cancer.


METHODS
Twenty eight syngenic BDIX rats were utilized in this study. The rats were divided into two groups of fourteen animals: group T (treatment) and group C (control). All rats of both groups were injected, under the splenic capsule, with T 10(7) DHD/K2/ TRb neoplastic cells. Then, within and around the site of the previous inoculation, the T group was injected with 1 ml of glucosate solutions + 0.1% albumin (BSA) containing 2.5 x 10(6) IU of IL-2 ( Proleukin-Chiron), whereas the C group was injected with 1 ml of BSA alone. After three weeks, rats were sacrificed and the liver and spleen were removed. The following parameters were considered: volume and weight, neoplastic-non neoplastic tissue index of the spleen, mitotic index and vascular density of splenic and hepatic lesions.


RESULTS
All the studied parameters showed statistically significant differences in treated and untreated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
This study of a murine model demonstrated that IL-2 locoregional therapy may be effective in the treatment of colon cancer.
Caporale
A
A
Department of Surgery "P. Valdoni", Sant'Andrea II Medicine Faculty, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Brescia
A
A
Galati
G
G
Castelli
M
M
Saputo
S
S
Terrenato
I
I
Cucina
A
A
Liverani
A
A
Gasparrini
M
M
Ciardi
A
A
Scarpini
M
M
Cosenza
U M
UM
D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D007376:Interleukin-2