title: Randomized study of autologous cytokine-induced killer cell immunotherapy in metastatic renal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The therapeutic benefit of the cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells was unknown in the renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This prospectively randomized study was conducted to evaluate the effects of autologous CIK cell immunotherapy in patients with metastatic clear cell RCCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June 2005 to June 2008, 148 patients with metastatic clear cell RCC were randomized to autologous CIK cell immunotherapy (arm 1, n = 74), or interleukin-2 treatment combination with IFN-α-2a (arm 2, n = 74). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analyses and treatment HRs with the Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-year PFS and OS in arm 1 were 18% and 61%, as compared with 12% and 23% in arm 2 (P = 0.031 and <0.001, respectively). The median PFS and OS in arm 1 were significantly longer than those in arm 2 (PFS, 12 vs. 8 months, P = 0.024; OS, 46 vs. 19 months, P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses indicated that the cycle count of CIK cell immunotherapy as a continuous variable was significantly associated with prolonged PFS [HR = 0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84-0.93; P < 0.001] and OS (HR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.48-0.69; P < 0.001) in arm 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggested that CIK cell immunotherapy could improve the prognosis of metastatic clear cell RCC, and increased cycle count of CIK cell treatment could further enhance the beneficial effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiuying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jinpu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xishan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Xiubao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins