Conti A, Maestroni G J
Centre for Experimental Pathology, Istituto Cantonale di Patologia, Locarno, Switzerland.
J Pineal Res. 1995 Oct;19(3):103-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1995.tb00177.x.
In the past several years, interest in the immunophysiological role of the pineal gland and melatonin has grown to the extent that now their immunoregulatory role is widely recognized. Melatonin has immunoenhancing properties and it is able to counteract the immunodepression induced by acute stress, drug treatment (i.e., anticancer drugs), and viral infections. Here we review the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin alone or in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2) in cancer patients who did not respond to standard anticancer chemotherapies and/or refused any aggressive treatment. In this review, we summarize a series of reports from 1986 through 1994 in which patients affected by metastatic solid tumors, metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, advanced solid neoplasms, myelodysplastic syndrome, hepatocellular carcinoma, and advanced endocrine tumors were studied. The conclusion drawn from these studies is that melatonin protects against IL-2 and synergizes with the IL-2 anticancer action. This combined strategy represents a well tolerated intervention to control tumor growth. In most cases performance status and quality of life seem improved.
在过去几年中，人们对松果体和褪黑素的免疫生理作用的兴趣与日俱增，以至于现在它们的免疫调节作用已得到广泛认可。褪黑素具有免疫增强特性，能够对抗急性应激、药物治疗（如抗癌药物）和病毒感染引起的免疫抑制。在此，我们综述了褪黑素单独使用或与白细胞介素-2（IL-2）联合使用对那些对标准抗癌化疗无反应和/或拒绝任何积极治疗的癌症患者的治疗效果。在本综述中，我们总结了1986年至1994年的一系列报告，其中对患有转移性实体瘤、转移性非小细胞肺癌、晚期实体肿瘤、骨髓增生异常综合征、肝细胞癌和晚期内分泌肿瘤的患者进行了研究。从这些研究中得出的结论是，褪黑素可保护机体免受IL-2的影响，并与IL-2的抗癌作用协同增效。这种联合策略是一种耐受性良好的控制肿瘤生长的干预措施。在大多数情况下，患者的身体状况和生活质量似乎都有所改善。
