PREOPERATIVE RIL-2 TREATMENT IN RENAL-CANCER - EARLY AND LATE EFFECTSON LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS AND PROLIFERATION, NK ACTIVITY, IL-6 IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO PRODUCTION

The aim oi this study is the evaluation of the immune state of 11 oper able subjects with renal cancer in I and II Robson stage, preoperative ly treated or not with 9,000, 000 ill twice daily rIL-2, for 3 consecu tive days before surgery: This was done by assessing baseline early (3 rd day) and late (60th day) postoperative values of the following: per centage of circulating CD16 and CD57 lymphocytes; baseline and PHA-sti mulated proliferative lymphocyte ability; production of systemic IL-6; and, spontaneous and LPS-stimulated monocyte production of IL-6. Thos e values were compared with the values obtained in 11 healthy subjects . Patients with renal cell cancer versus healthy subjects show the fol lowing al baseline. reduced spontaneous and stimulated proliferative P BMC ability; increased serum levels oi IL-6; increased baseline monocy te production of IL-6: reduced monocyte ability of producing IL-6 afte r stimulation with IFS (ail statistically significant). The preoperati ve treatment with IL-2 induces the following effects: significant CD16 percentage increase; significant increase in the spontaneous (vs. bas eline) and stimulated (vs. non-treated) lymphocyte proliferative abili ty, even at 60 days; significant reduction of the serum levels of IL-6 up to values overlapping those of the healthy subjects, even at 60 da ys; significant increase in the monocyte ability of producing IL-6 aft er stimulation with IFS, even al 60 days. The treatment is well tolera ted and appears lo be capable of restoring the cytotoxic functions and repairing the systemic alterations in the production of cytokines, ev en al a long interval after surgery.