title: Effects of subcutaneous recombinant IL-2 on humoral immunity in advanced cancer-patients.
abstract: Immunotherapy represents a promising biological approach to cancer treatment. Important haemato-immunological modifications during rIL-2 treatment have been demonstrated in all patients treated, independently of the schedule and mode of rIL-2 administration. Generally, there is a lack of correlation between treatment-related modifications and clinical response. rIL-2 cell-mediated responses have been extensively studied but the role of humoral immunity is still unclear. We evaluated the peripheral blood CD4, CD8, CD19 and CD25 lymphocyte subset modifications and serum levels of immunoglobulin, IL-6 and IL-2 in 19 patients with malignant melanoma and renal cell carcinoma undergoing subcutaneous administration of IL-2. Our results suggest that humoral immunity is only marginally involved; however, the parameter variations observed suggest that further studies are necessary.
authors.affiliation: ONCOL INST,DIV MED ONCOL,I-70126 BARI,ITALY. ONCOL INST,RADIOIMMUNOL LAB,I-70126 BARI,ITALY.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casamassima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Triantafillou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delena