INTERLEUKIN-2 EFFECT ON THE NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS OF ONCOLOGIC PATIENTS

Interleukins (IL), in particular IL2, has been studied for peculiarities of their effect on natural killer (NK) cells of patients with malignant diseases. Deficienty of IL2 may suppress NK activity. IL2 in vitro induces a significant rise in the NK activity of the immune cells of peripheral blood, lymph nodes and tumor tissue against tumor lines both sensitive to effector cells and relatively resistant ones (including insensitive autologic malignant cell). Dependences of the IL2 effect on the NK activity and spreading of malignant diseases and peculiarities of its treatment are shown. Data on changes in phenotypes of the NK cells from patients with cancer after the IL2 action and on fluctuation of the NK activity in different IL2 courses in vivo are cited in the review.