The effect of RU 41.740 (Biostim) on the production of interleukin-1 by monocytes and enriched large granular lymphocytes in normals and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract
The effect of RU 41.740 on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity from normals and patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was studied. RU 41.740-treated normal enriched large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) showed increased cytotoxic activity against 51Cr-labelled K562 cells. Although the drug increased the cytotoxic activity of LGLs from HCC patients, these results were not statistically significant. As LGLs have been shown to release interleukin-1 (IL-1) after suitable stimulation the effects of RU 41.740 on production of this cytokine from both monocytes and LGLs was studied. The drug stimulated IL-1 release from normal cells but monocyte and LGL IL-1 production from HCC patients was not influenced by RU 41.740 by RU 41.740. It is concluded, therefore, that although RU 41.740 can stimulate natural cytotoxicity and IL-1 production by normal LGLs, it is unable to correct the defect which exists in these functions in patients with large mass tumours.