The effect of RU 41.740 (Biostim) on the production of interleukin-1 by monocytes and enriched large granular lymphocytes in normals and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

The effect of RU 41.740 on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity from normals and patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was studied. RU 41.740-treated normal enriched large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) showed increased cytotoxic activity against 51Cr-labelled K562 cells. Although the drug increased the cytotoxic activity of LGLs from HCC patients, these results were not statistically significant. As LGLs have been shown to release interleukin-1 (IL-1) after suitable stimulation the effects of RU 41.740 on production of this cytokine from both monocytes and LGLs was studied. The drug stimulated IL-1 release from normal cells but monocyte and LGL IL-1 production from HCC patients was not influenced by RU 41.740 by RU 41.740. It is concluded, therefore, that although RU 41.740 can stimulate natural cytotoxicity and IL-1 production by normal LGLs, it is unable to correct the defect which exists in these functions in patients with large mass tumours.