Cytokine production during intraperitoneal chemohyperthermia

The aim of the present work is to investigate in vivo cytokine production during chemohyperthermia. 11 patients suffering from gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 6), ovarian adenocarcinoma (n = 4) or malignant mesothelioma (n = 1) were studied. Patients received 60 mg mitomycin or 100 mg cisplatin per square meter during 2 h in 6 liters of a heating solution (temperature 42 degrees C, flow rate 200 ml/min in a closed circuit) after previous surgical resection. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured at 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min, both in the blood stream and in the heating solution circulating intraperitoneally. We observed a slight increase in plasma IL-6 occurring as soon as 30 min, a dramatic rise in IL-6 in the heating solution. TNF-alpha values were only slightly augmented. In addition, the importance of various factors in the induction of IL-6 and TNF-alpha production during chemohyperthermia (temperature, mitomycin C, cisplatin) were studied using a whole blood ex vivo model.