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Clinical trial of natural human lymphocyte-derived interleukin 2 in cancer patients: Effects on cytokine production and suppressor cell status

  • Published:
Biotherapy

Abstract

Lymphocyte-derived, natural, glycosylated interleukin 2 (IL 2) may have different effectsin vivo than the non-glycosylated recombinant IL 2 hitherto employed in clinical trials. To test this, 9 tumor patients were given 3–6 × 106 U/day natural IL 2 by continuous infusion for 5 days. Compared with previously published results obtained using recombinant IL 2, as far as similar tests were performed, no unexpected results were obtained with natural IL 2 in the present study. Plasma TNF-α levels increased considerably during therapy, IFN-γ very slightly, whereas IL 2-stimulated secretion of either cytokinein vitro fluctuated greatly. CD 16+ and CD25+ cells increased and CD45R+ cells decreased after treatment, consistent with significant lymphocyte activationin vivo. MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity increased after treatment. The level of CD8+ cells was and remained within the normal range, although suppressive activity generated in mixed lymphocyte culture was deficient prior to therapy. Interestingly, this normalised after therapy. These results extend studies of immunological monitoring of patients receiving IL 2, based on the first trial using natural rather than recombinant IL 2.

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Abbreviations

CTX:

cytotoxicity

LU:

lytic unit

MLC:

mixed lymphocyte culture

PBMC:

peripheral blood mononuclear cells

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Clinic, DW-7400, Tübingen, Germany

    Graham Pawelec, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Edwin Schneider, Hans-Jörg Bühring, Arnika Rehbein, Petra Baumgärtner & Gerhard Ehninger

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  1. Graham Pawelec
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  2. Heinz-Josef Lenz
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  3. Edwin Schneider
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  4. Hans-Jörg Bühring
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  6. Petra Baumgärtner
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  7. Gerhard Ehninger
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Pawelec, G., Lenz, HJ., Schneider, E. et al. Clinical trial of natural human lymphocyte-derived interleukin 2 in cancer patients: Effects on cytokine production and suppressor cell status. Biotherapy 3, 309–318 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02221323

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02221323

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