Imaging pattern of radiolabelled lymphokine-activated killer cells in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma.

In patients with metastatic malignant melanoma the distribution patterns of radiolabelled lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were investigated. Peripheral mononuclear cells (PMC) were isolated from six patients. LAK cells were generated by culturing PMC in complete medium containing 1000 U interleukin (IL)-2/ml and labelled with indium 111 before retransfer. We obtained scans at 2.5, 24, 48 or 96 h after injection with a high resolution gamma-camera. Intravenously injected LAK cells distributed to the lungs, liver, spleen and bone marrow. External tumour detection of known lymph node and bone metastases was successful in four. It failed in one patient with a solitary lung metastasis and in another patient with subcutaneous metastases. Our results suggest that LAK cells show tumour homing, providing a direct interaction between tumour and cytotoxic cells. We conclude that PMC seem to retain their ability to migrate after IL-2 stimulation and 111In-labeling. This technique may be helpful for kinetics studies or external detection of metastases in patients with malignant melanoma.