STAGE DEPENDENCE OF NK CELL-ACTIVITY AND ITS MODULATION BY INTERLEUKIN-2 IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST-CANCER

NK cell activity was evaluated in breast cancer patients with differen t clinical stages of disease prior to surgery. In 58 patients with Sta ges I-III of breast cancer the peripheral blood NK cell activity was s ignificantly reduced as compared to controls, and NK activity of 11 pa tients with Stage IV and metastases was significantly reduced as compa red to both controls and patients with locoregional disease. In vitro treatment of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in medium with 10% fet al bovine serum (FBS) alone significantly increased NK cell activity i n patients with Stages I-III and Stage IV of disease, although the lev el of NK cell activity of patients with Stage IV remained below that f or less advanced disease. In vitro treatment of PBL of some Stages I-I II patients (n = 41) with interleukin 2 (IL 2) gave a significant, dos e-dependent enhancement of their NK cell activity so that it was signi ficantly higher than bask NK activity of healthy controls. The results showed decrease of NK cell activity in breast cancer patients especia lly in advanced disease and enhancement with IL 2 indicating the possi bility of immunotherapy in this neoplasm.