TNF receptor p55 and IL-8(72) and IL-8(77) isoforms: blood and urine levels in breast cancer patients.

In the preliminary study reported here, 37 patients with breast cancer and 10 healthy volunteers were analyzed for soluble TNF-R p55 and two variants of IL-8 consisting of 72 and 77 amino acid residues (IL-8(72) and IL-8(77), respectively) in their blood and urine with novel ELISA test systems. The clinical/prognostic values of determining these inflammatory cytokines at different stages of the cancer process appeared to depend on the treatment course being evaluated. In contrast to expectations, it was noted that there was a stabile tendency for decreased TNF-R p55 and IL-8(72) levels in the plasma and urine of breast cancer patients as compared with levels observed with healthy controls.

Stage of differentiation, proliferative index of tumor cells and cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes in colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: To evaluate prognostic value of activity of cytotoxic lymphocytes of peripheral blood (CTL) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: 2-year survival of 30 patients with colorectal cancer stage II (T2-3N0-1M0G1-3) was investigated in relation with clinical data, cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (by MTT-test) and immunohistochemical peculiarities of tumor cells using anti-Ki-67-MABs.

Results: It was revealed that some factors had prognostic significance, namely regional lymph nodes involvement (r = -0.

Experimental immunotherapy of mice with transplanted MC-rhabdomyosarcoma resistant to doxorubicin.

Aim: To compare the sensitivity of doxorubicin (DOX) sensitive and DOX-resistant MC-rhabdomyosarcoma (MC-RMS) cells to the action of lymphokine-activated cells (LAC).

Results: In vitro investigations showed that LAC received from the fraction of adherent lymphocytes possess the highest activity against DOX-resistant tumor cells, and LAC from lymphocytes of total pool--against DOX-resistant tumor cells pretreated with DOX at a low dose. Adoptive immunotherapy of MC-RMS in vivo showed the highest efficacy in the cases of LAC intratumoral injection and the one combined with intraperitoneal administration of DOX at a low dose (increase of survival time by 14% and 25%, respectively).