A pilot study of intralymphatic interleukin-2. II. Clinical and biological effects

Interleukin-2 (recombinant methionyl human interleukin-2 alanine 125; IL-2) was administered intralymphatically to 12 patients with advanced cancer in a phase I trial. Doses were administered once a week for 6 weeks in a dosage escalation schedule; patients were entered in four groups at successively higher starting dosages. Toxicity occurred in a profile similar to that seen with intravenous IL-2. The maximum tolerated dose with this route/schedule was 275,000 units/kg, a figure not higher than expected with intravenous administration. T1/2 alpha was prolonged to 54 min from the 13 min figure we obtained with IL-2 given intravenously. Granulocytosis and eosinophilia were seen, along with lymphocytosis following initial lymphopenia. Anti-IL-2 antibodies were seen in 42% of patients (compared to 16% with this agent given intravenously), suggesting increased immunogenicity of this route/schedule. No clinical response was achieved. Immunologic effects will be reported separately but are summarized.