Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of α-interferon therapy on blood lymphoid cells

Studies on antibody production, mixed lymphocyte culture response, mitogen responsiveness and 2'–5'oligoadenylate synthetase activity

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The influence of natural α-interferon (α-IFN) therapy (3×106 units i.m. daily) on blood lymphoid cells was studied in 20 patients with gynecological neoplasias (7 patients with condylomata accuminata and 13 patients with ovarian carcinoma). There was a statistically significant increase in the intracellular levels of 2'–5'oligoadenylate synthese 1 day after the first injection of IFN and with few exceptions this activity remained increased during 3 months of treatment. In most of the patients, the capacity of blood lymphoid cells to produce IgA, IgG, and IgM following stimulation with pokeweed mitogen was decreased 1 day after the first injection of IFN and with few exceptions it remained low during 6 months of IFN therapy. In most patients there was a decrease in the capacity of lymphoid cells to act as stimulator or responder cells in a mixed lymphocyte culture during IFN therapy. The α-IFN therapy had no major influence on the response of lymphoid cells to mitogens. We conclude, that neither this nor our previous studies on the influence of IFN therapy on immunological functions have given support to the hypothesis that the antitumor action of IFN is mediated by the immune system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blomgren H, Einhorn S, von Stedingk L-V, Wasserman J (1981) Influence of interferon on pokeweed mitogen triggered Ig secretion by human lymphocytes in vitro. J Interferon Res 4:513

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bøyum A (1968) Separation of leukocytes from blood and bone marrow. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 21 Suppl 97:1

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cantell K, Hirvonen S, Kauppinen HL, Myllyla G (1981) Production of interferon in human leukocytes from normal donors with the use of Sendai virus. Methods Enzymol 78:29

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cantell K, Hirvonen S, Koistinen V (1984) Partial purification of human leukocyte interferon on a large scale. Methods Enzymol 78:499

    Google Scholar 

  5. DeStefano E, Friedman RM, Friedman-Kien AE, Goedert JJ, Henricsen D, Preble OT, Sonnabend JA, Vileck J (1982) Acid-labile human leukocyte in homosexual men with Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphadenopathy. J Infect Dis 146:451

    Google Scholar 

  6. Einhorn S, Blomgren H (1980) Enhancemnet of the human mixed lymphocyte culture response by pretreating the stimulating cells with interferon. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 62:126

    Google Scholar 

  7. Einhorn S, Jarstrand C (1982) Decrease in the phagocytic activity of peripheral monocytes in patients treated with human interferon-α. Cancer Immunol Immunother 13:149

    Google Scholar 

  8. Einhorn S, Jarstrand C (1984) Functions of human neutrophilic granulocytes after in vivo exposure to IFN-α. Infect Immun 43:1054

    Google Scholar 

  9. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Strander H (1978) Interferon and spontaneous cytotoxicity in man. II. Studies in patients receiving exogeneous leukocyte interferon. Acta Med Scand 204:477

    Google Scholar 

  10. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Cantell K, Strander H (1979) Effect of prolonged in vivo administration of leukocyte interferon on the mitogen responsiveness of human lymphocytes. Acta Med Scand 206:345

    Google Scholar 

  11. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Strander H (1980) Interferon and spontaneous cytotoxicity in man. V. Enhancement of spontaneous cytotoxicity in patients receiving human leukocyte interferon. Int J Cancer 26:419

    Google Scholar 

  12. Einhorn S, Ahre A, Blomgren H, Johansson B, Mellstedt H, Strander H (1982) Interferon and natural killer activity in multiple myeloma. Lack of correlation between interferon-induced enhancement of natural killer activity and clinical response to human interferon-α. Int J Cancer 30:167

    Google Scholar 

  13. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Einhorn N, Strander H (1983) In vitro and in vivo effects of interferon on the response of human lymphocytes to mitogens. Clin Exp Immunol 51:369

    Google Scholar 

  14. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Jarstrand C, Strander H, Wasserman J (1983) Influence of interferon-α therapy on functions of the human immune system. In: The biology of the interferon system. Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp 137

    Google Scholar 

  15. Einhorn S, Blomgren H, Strander H, Wasserman J (1983) Influence of human interferon-α therapy on cytotoxic functions of peripheral lymphocytes. Studies on lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and natural killer cell activity. Cancer Immunol Immunother 16:77

    Google Scholar 

  16. Einhorn S, Ling P, Einhorn N, Strander S (1987) The capacity of blood lymphoid cells to produce α- and γ-interferon is decreased during α-interferon therapy. J Clin Lab Immunol (in press)

  17. Hahn T, Levin S (1982) The interferon system in patients with malignant disease. J Interferon Res 2:97

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hooks JJ, Moutsopoulos HM, Geis SA, Sathl NI, Decker JL, Notkins AL (1979) Immune interferon in the circulation of patients with autoimmune disease. N Engl J Med 301:5

    Google Scholar 

  19. Levin S, Hahn T (1981) Evaluation of human interferon system in viral disease. Clin Exp Immunol 46:475

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lilliehook B, Blomgren H (1974) Strong stimulation of CBA lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte interaction with cells from the h-2 identical strain C3H. Scand J Immunol 3:627

    Google Scholar 

  21. Michaels RH, Weinberger MM, Ho M (1965) Circulating interferon-like viral inhibitor in patients with meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae. N Engl J Med 272:1148

    Google Scholar 

  22. Revel M, Wallach D, Merlin G, Schattner A, Schmidt A, Wolf D, Shulman L, Kimchi A (1981) Interferon-induced enzymes: microassays and their application; purification and assay of (2′,5′)-oligoadenylate synthetase and assay of 2′-phosphodiesterase. Methods Enzymol 79:149

    Google Scholar 

  23. Schattner A, Merlin G, Wallach D, Rosenberg H, Bino T, Hahn T, Levin S, Revel M (1981) Monitoring of interferon therapy by assay of (2′-5′)oligo-isoadenylate synthetase in human peripheral white blood cells. J Interferon Res 1:587

    Google Scholar 

  24. Strander H (1986) Interferon treatment of human neoplasia. Adv Cancer Res 1:1

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wasserman J, von Stedingk LV, Biberfeld G, Petrini B, Blomgren H, Baral E (1979) The effect of irradiation on T-cell supppression of ELISA-determined Ig production by human blood B-cells in vitro. Clin Exp Immunol 38:366

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wasserman J, Einhorn S, Petrini B, von Stedingk L-V (1986) Further studies on the influence on poke weed mitogen-induced Ig synthesis in vitro. J Clin Lab Immunol (in press)

  27. Wood N, Bashir H, Greally J, Mos DB, Yunis EJ (1972) A simple method of freezing and storing live lymphocytes. Tissue Antigens 2:27

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, S-104 01, Stockholm

    Stefan Einhorn, Patrik Ling, Nina Einhorn & Hans Strander

  2. The Central Microbiological Laboratory, Stockholm County Council, S-102 22, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jerzy Wasserman

Authors
  1. Stefan Einhorn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patrik Ling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nina Einhorn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hans Strander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jerzy Wasserman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Einhorn, S., Ling, P., Einhorn, N. et al. Influence of α-interferon therapy on blood lymphoid cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother 24, 190–196 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00205628

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00205628

Keywords

Search

Navigation