Effect of human recombinant interleukin-2 on cytotoxic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in melanoma patients before surgery.

Natural killer activity against K562 targets and recombinant interleukin-2 induced cytotoxicity to NK resistant targets (MEL-4 and T24) was investigated in 15 melanoma patients. Before elective surgery no differences in cytotoxic activities were demonstrated when compared with patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma and controls. No correlation with the depth of the melanoma lesion was observed. Numbers of precursors of IL-2 induced killers in melanoma patients were in normal range. In conclusion, no defects in non-specific NK and IL-2 induced behavior in peripheral blood of melanoma patients were found. Other factors, specific, non-specific, related or unrelated to the tumor side should be thus considered.