Defective interleukin-1 production by monocytes from patients with malignant disease. Interferon increases IL-1 production.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by monocytes of patients with various forms of malignant disease was measured after activating the cells with either lipopolysaccharide or malignant K562 cells. Monocytes from all the patients with large tumour masses, including 10 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, produced considerably less IL-1 than controls or patients with small tumour burdens. After treating control or patient monocytes with human leucocyte interferon for 1 h prior to activation, IL-1 production was markedly improved. Depressed IL-1 production is, therefore, a further aberration in mononuclear function observed in patients with cancer.