Reduction of interleukin 1 and interleukin 2 production by patients with advanced cancer

1. The concentrations of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) produced in the supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from patients with advanced cancer were measured to identify some of the causes of the immunological impairment characteristic of malignant disease. 2. Mononuclear cells obtained from 19 cancer patients were stimulated to produce IL-1 and IL-2 and compared with those of healthy controls. A severe reduction of both IL-1 and IL-2 activity was observed. 3. There was no correlation between the lower number of OKT4+ cells observed in these patients and the levels of IL-2 production. The removal of monocytes did not bring IL-2 levels to normal. Impaired IL-2 production could not be restored to normal by addition of IL-1. 5. These results suggest that exogenous IL-1 and IL-2 may be useful in cancer immunotherapy.