[Adoptive immunotherapy of cancer patients with lymphokine-activated killer cells].

We have examined the effects of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2) on generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and adoptive immunotherapy. rIL-2 generated LAK activity dose- and time-dependently. The generated LAK cells by rIL-2 killed autologous and various allogenic tumor cells but not normal cells. No difference was found in the generation of LAK activity by rIL-2 between healthy donors and cancer patients rIL-2 generated LAK activity of lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood, spleen, pleural fluid and ascites in cancer patients. Two cancer patients with pleuritis carcinomatosa, who had not responded to various chemotherapeutic agents, were treated with adoptive immunotherapy. LAK cells were generated from the lymphocytes of pleural fluid or peripheral blood incubated with rIL-2 (5 U/ml) for 5 days. LAK cells (0.1-1.0 X 10(9)/100 ml in total) were administered into the pleural cavity followed by injection of rIL-2 (1,000 U) 1 to 7 times. No significant adverse effect was observed except for fever and eosinophilia. Complete disappearance of pleural tumor cells was observed in one patient and decrease in the other.