TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT-MELANOMA WITH RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERFERON A-2B - ANALYSIS OF CYTOKINE AND 2'5'-OLIGO(A)-SYNTHETASE LEVELS

The interferon induced intracellular enzyme 2'5'-oligo adenylate (2'5' A) synthetase and circulating IFN-a were measured in extracts of perip heral mononuclear cells isolated from patients with melanoma, receivin g IFN-a in combined chemotherapy. The levels of the two parameters wer e increased in the majority of the patients which had response to ther apy while only a small number of non-responders had induction of the e nzyme and augmentation of the circulating cytokine. The levels of the increased parameters were some times fold than the control: this was p robably duet to the synergistic effect of the combined chemotherapy. T here is also an excellent correlation between the two assays with an R (2)=0.982. Finally, there were no particular side effects in patients and 30% of them responded to therapy while all the others had stable o r progressive disease.