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Lack of correlation between peripheral blood lymphokine‐activated killer (lak) cell function and clinical response in patients with advanced malignant melanoma receiving recombinant interleukin 2
Author(s) -
Ghosh A. K.,
Dazzi H.,
Thatcher N.,
Moore M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910430311
Subject(s) - lymphokine , lymphokine activated killer cell , melanoma , interleukin 2 , immunology , peripheral blood , medicine , recombinant dna , immunotherapy , cancer research , cytokine , biology , t cell , immune system , interleukin 21 , biochemistry , gene
A phase‐1/II study of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL‐2) was performed in 31 melanoma patients. The first dose of rIL‐2 was given intrasplenically followed 4 hr later by an i.v. dose and 3 further i.v. doses on alternate days. Three courses of treatment were planned at 3‐week intervals. The maximum tolerated single dose was 11 × 10 6 Cetus U/m 2 . Haematological and immunological data were available on 20 patients. Post‐treatment response to rIL‐2 therapy was evident from (i) a rapid depletion of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with a rebound at 4–7 days (2 times pre‐treatment values); (ii) an increase in the number of IL‐2 receptor‐positive lymphocytes (4–15 times pre‐treatment values); (iii) an increase in the number of “positive” patients with cytotoxic (anti‐K562) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 30% to 80%; (iv) amplified killing of K562 by positive patients in relation to pre‐treatment values; and (v) the induction of PBMC cytotoxicity (in 45% of patients) against the NK‐resistant, LAK‐sensitive target, Mel 1. Partial clinical responses to rIL‐2 treatment were observed in 4 patients, but these were not reflected in the PBMC LAK activity or the other parameters examined.