Normalization of idiopathic arterial hypertension following cancer immunotherapy with interleukin-2.

It is known that IL-2 cancer immunotherapy is associated with hypotension. The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of low-dose IL-2 subcutaneous therapy on blood pressure in cancer patients with idiopathic hypertension requiring hypotensive therapy. The study included 12 patients, who received IL-2 at 6 million IU/day for at least 4 weeks. Mean values of both systolic and diastolic pressure significantly decreased under IL-2 therapy, and the hypotensive agents were interrupted within 2 weeks in 10/12 patients. Moreover, 6 of them still showed normal blood pressure values without hypotensive therapy after a median follow-up of 6 months. This preliminary study would suggest that low-dose IL-2 subcutaneous therapy may normalize blood pressure values in cancer patients with idiopathic hypertension.