SERUM LEVELS OF SOLUBLE CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-SELECTIN) AND OF CYTOKINE TNF-ALPHA INCREASE DURING INTERLEUKIN-2 THERAPY

Circulating levels of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin mere measured in 20 advanced cancer patients at different times during recombinant interleukin-a immunotherapy. The concentration of all three molecules progressively increased as did the levels of circulating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which is known to induce endothelial cell activation. A fair direct relationship (but not statistically significant) between the raised concentration of soluble cell adhesion molecules and TNF-alpha was observed. We suggest that elevated levels of soluble adhesion molecules and TNF-alpha in the blood of IL-a-treated patients may arise from a systemic inflammatory reaction producing endothelial cell activation. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.