Summary
The toxicity of recombinant Interleukin-2 (IL-2) was studied in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or persistant lymphadenpathy syndrome (LAS). Increasing doses of the drug from 103 Units/m2 to 106 U/m2 were given as an intravenous bolus injection. At the high-dose levels some minor effects, such as fever up to 39.5°C, chills, malaise or vomiting, were observed. The administration of 106 U/m2 as a 4-hour infusion showed identical results. No particular alterations of laboratory parameters were found. At the high-dose level the serum concentration of neopterin, which is released from macrophages after interferon gamma stimulation, was significantly (p<0.001) elevated above pretreatment levels. The clinical observation of daily infusions of 106/m2 for 14 days revealed the same side effects. All patients developed lymphocytosis and eosinophilia. Two patients had suffered from severe diarrhoea for several weeks presumably due to cryptosporidiosis. In both cases diarrhoea ceased under the treatment with IL-2 and did not occur in the following two months.
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Kern, P., Toy, J. & Dietrich, M. Preliminary clinical observations with recombinant interleukin-2 in patients with AIDS or LAS. Blut 50, 1–6 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319762
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319762