[Infectious complications during treatments with interleukin-2]

Between January 1989 and May 1991, 97 patients were treated with interleukin 2 in the Oncology Department of the Avicenne Hospital (Bobigny, France). IL 2 was given over 5 days by continuous infusion through an implantable port. Ten patients (4 males, 6 females), mean age 46 years (36-67) with various cancers (breast 3, kidney 1, melanoma 1, colorectal 5), developed infection: 4 local infections around the port, 1 phlebitis, 4 septicemias, 1 bacteremia were observed. In 9 cases blood cultures were positive: Staphylococcus aureus 5, Staphylococcus epidermidis 3, Streptococcus G 1. In 5 cases the same pathogen was isolated from the port and from the blood. The mean leucocyte count was 10,627/mm3 at the time of infection. The delay between the beginning of interleukin 2 treatment and the infection was 3 months. The mean dose of IL 2 administered before infection was 456 million IU. In all cases infection was controlled without lethal complication by antibiotics and catheter removal. This high incidence (8 percent) of staphylococcal infection is partly due to the skin toxicity of IL 2 and to depressed neutrophil chemotactic response. Prophylactic antibiotics are warranted during IL 2 intravenous therapy.