INHIBITION OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA SECRETION BY PENTOXIFYLLINEIN ADVANCED CANCER-PATIENTS WITH ABNORMALLY HIGH BLOOD-LEVELS OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA

TNF in addition to its antitumor activity, would play an important rol e in the pathogenesis of cancer-related severe complications, includin g ARDS and DIC. Therefore, the modulation of TNF secretion could be im portant in the supportive care of advanced cancer patients. At present , PTX is the only drug which has been proven to be able to inhibit in vitro the release of TNF. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of PTX on TNF blood concentrations in disseminated cancer p atients with abnormally high TNF values. The study included 14 cancer patients, with initial or conclamate signs of ARDS (n = 8) or DIC (n = 6). PTX was given intravenously at a dose of 300 mg/day for 7 days. M ean serum levels of TNF significantly decreased in response to PTX the rapy, and they returned to normal range in 5/14 patients. These prelim inary data would suggest that PTX may be considered as a biological re sponse modifier, capable of inhibiting TNF secretion in humans, with a following potential use in the treatment of cancer-related severe com plications.