INFUSIONS OF INTERLEUKIN-1-ALPHA AFTER AUTOLOGOUS TRANSPLANTATION FORHODGKINS-DISEASE AND NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA INDUCE EFFECTOR-CELLS WITHANTI-LYMPHOMA CYTOLYTIC ACTIVITY

We evaluated the cytolytic function, phenotypic characteristics, and c ytokine levels of 22 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 7 with H odgkin)s disease receiving interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) following autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. IL-1 alpha was given i.v. over 6 hr, between day 0 and day +13 posttra nsplant. On day +14, cells from patients receiving high-dose IL-1 alph a (3.0 mu g/m(2)/day) had significantly enhanced killing of natural ki ller (NK)-sensitive and -resistant lymphoma targets compared to those treated with low-dose IL-1 alpha (0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mu g/m(2)/day. The differences in cytolytic function between the two groups persisted but were not as striking on day +28. Patients receiving higher-dose IL-1 alpha had a significantly increased proportion of CD3(+) T cells on da ys +14 and +28, while the proportion of CD16(+) and CD56(+) NK cells w as decreased compared to those of patients treated with the lower dose . There were no detectable levels of IL-2, interferon-gamma, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the plasma of patients receiving IL-1 alpha p osttransplant. However, higher-dose IL-1 alpha therapy was associated with significant increases in serum IL-6 levels in comparison to those in patients receiving low-dose IL-1 alpha. IL-1 alpha may increase cy tolytic function post-bone man:ow transplantation; it remains to be de termined, however, whether this would have an impact on decreasing rel apse rates of patients undergoing transplantation for lymphoma.