Interleukin-2 activity and the response of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with gynecologic malignancies.

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), the response to IL-2, and the IL-2 absorption by PBL was studied in 34 patients with gynecologic malignancies. In addition measurement of the OKT 4/8 cell ratios were made. The OKT 4/8 cell ratio in patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies was significantly lower than that in patients with benign tumor. PBL from advanced cancer patients activated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) had significantly lower IL-2 productivity than that from patients with benign tumors, while no significant difference was observed in its abilities to respond to IL-2 and to absorb IL-2. The OKT 4/8 cell ratio and IL-2 productivity in PBL of patients with good prognosis were significantly elevated after chemotherapy. On the other hand, PBL of patients with poor prognosis declined to about one-half of the preoperative levels. Although in patients with good prognosis the ability of PBL to respond to IL-2 was not changed before and after treatment, in patients with poor prognosis the response was significantly increased after chemotherapy. However, the ability to absorb IL-2 was not affected by treatment.