Effect of T-activin therapy on indomethacin modulation of lymphoproliferative response in vitro of melanoma patients.

BACKGROUND

Several studies showed that PGE-mediated immunosuppression in cancer patients may be differentially affected by conventional oncologic therapy.

METHODS

Since there is little evidence about the action of immunotherapy on this suppression mechanism, we investigated the effect of therapy with a thymic agent-T-activin, on in vitro modulation of lymphoproliferative response (LPR) by indomethacin.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that indomethacin added in vitro enhanced LPR in early stage melanoma patients before therapy. T-activin therapy as an adjunct to surgery improved this lymphocyte function; the post-therapy in vitro addition of indomethacin did not significantly affect mitogen response. However, in those patients whose LPR was insufficiently enhanced by immunotherapy (3/8), indomethacin had improved their lymphocyte response. In the control patient group treated by surgery alone, indomethacin significantly enhanced LPR in vitro six months after operation. Although obtained in a small number of patients, our results indicate that the enhancing effect of T-activin therapy on lymphoproliferative response may be, at least in part, due to the effect on PGE-mediated suppressor cell activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Furthermore, post-therapy in vitro testing may indicate a possible usefulness of this drug combination in some of the early stage melanoma patients.