OK-432 INDUCES PRODUCTION OF NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTACTIC FACTORS IN MALIGNANT PLEURAL EFFUSION

We investigated the changes in cellular components and neutrophil chem otactic factors in pleural fluid from 19 lung cancer patients who rece ived intrapleural injection of OK-432 to treat malignant pleurisy. Not only neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) but also neutrophil count and percentage were increased significantly at 6 hours after OK-432 in jection, The neutrophil count was significantly correlated with NCA le vel, The levels of C5a and IL-8 in pleural fluid were increased signif icantly after OK-432 injection. The increased IL-8 level was associate d with a increase of both NCA and neutrophil count. OK-432 treatment a lso induced a marked increase of IL-1 beta and IL-6 in pleural fluid, Thus, intrapleural injection of OK-432 induced production of neutrophi l chemotactic factors (IL-8 and C5a) and cytokines (IL-1 beta and IL-6 ), which eventually attracted neutrophils into the pleural space. Thes e observations suggest that neutrophil migration mediated by these fac tors and cytokines may contribute to the sclerosing effects of OK-432 treatment.