INTERFERON AND SPONTANEOUS CYTOTOXICITY IN MAN .2. STUDIES IN PATIENTS RECEIVING EXOGENOUS LEUKOCYTE INTERFERON

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 204  (6) , 477-483
Abstract
The spontaneous cytotoxicity of peripheral lymphoid cells from 5 tumor patients [done in connection with clinical trials as an anticancer agent] was measured before and at various times after the 1st injection of human leukocyte interferon (IF). Four of the patients'' lymphocytes exhibited cytotoxicity before the IF injection. After injection of IF there was an initial decrease in cytotoxicity, followed by an increase to 1.5-5 times above the preinjection level, the peak being reached at 12 h. Thereafter the spontaneous cytotoxicity decreased but usually remained elevated for 24 h after the injection. The lymphocytes of the 5th patient had very low spontaneous cytotoxicity before the injection of IF, and this did not markedly change afterwards. The proportion of E[erythrocyte]-rosette forming cells seemed to decrease slightly in all patients after the injection, followed by a normalization at 24-48 h.