THE EOSINOPHIL GRANULE PROTEINS IN SERUM, BUT NOT THE OXIDATIVE-METABOLISM OF THE BLOOD EOSINOPHILS, ARE INCREASED IN CANCER

The eosinophil activity in patients with renal cell adenocarcinoma dur ing treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alph a) was reduced when measured as zymosan-induced lucigenin-enhanced che miluminescence (CL). Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), eosinophil per oxidase (EPO) and eosinophil protein-X (EPX) were significantly elevat ed before and during treatment (P < 0.001) when compared with the cont rols. ECP and EPO were unaffected by the treatment whereas it induced an increased EPX level compared with values measured before treatment (P < 0.05). The propensity of eosinophils to secrete their granule pro teins may reflect the fact that eosinophils in cancer patients have an enhanced capacity to kill cancer cells.