PubMed1992
The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of intrapleural administration of IL-2 on induction of cytotoxic killer cells and on secondary production of cytokines in malignant pleural effusions. During daily local administration of IL-2, significant in vivo induction of cytotoxic activity was observed after 3-7 days, followed by a decrease in this activity in pleural mononuclear cells (MNC) to almost zero by day 15. IL-4 suppressed induction of IL-2-inducible killer cells from MNC in blood and pleural effusion, but significantly augmented the killer induction from pleural effusion MNC obtained after local 7-day administration of IL-2. Before therapy, malignant pleural effusions contained various levels of IL-6 and M-CSF, but no IL-4 or IFN-gamma. Daily intrapleural instillation of IL-2 resulted in significant augmentation of the levels of IL-4, IL-6, IFN-gamma and M-CSF. Chromatographical fractionation of the pleural effusion showed only one major peak with a MW of 24 kD, which had IL-6 activity. The level of the latent form of TGF-beta also increased during local IL-2 therapy. In contrast, significant levels of TNF (alpha, beta), IL-1 beta or IFN-alpha were not detectable in pleural effusions before or during therapy. These data suggest that IL-2 is an important inducer of secondary production of various cytokines in vivo, responsible for up- or down-regulation of induction of IL-2-inducible killer activity.