Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor expression in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with interleukin-2-based immunotherapy.

Two distinct types of soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptors (sTNFRs), which are felt to represent proteolytic cleavage products of the extracellular domains of membrane-bound TNFRs of molecular mass, 55 and 75 kDa, are found in the serum and urine of humans. We have measured the serum concentrations of these receptors in eight patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma during treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based immunotherapy. The mean pretreatment concentration of sTNFR-55 kDa (p < 0.05) but not sTNFR-75 kDa was significantly elevated prior to the onset of immunotherapy. In one patient the concentrations of both sTNFRs decreased dramatically following removal of the primary tumor. There were significant increases in the concentrations of both sTNFRs in patients treated with IL-2-based therapy that included in vivo primed tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (pTILs); some of these patients eventually achieved a complete response to therapy. These data demonstrate that sTNFR-55 kDa is elevated in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma prior to therapy and that IL-2-based therapy that included pTIL cells results in a further increase in sTNFRs.