Treatment with IFN-gamma increases serum levels of Th1 chemokines and decreases those of Th2 chemokines in patients with mycosis fungoides.

BACKGROUND

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is used for the treatment of mycosis fungoides, which is a Th2 neoplasm with elevation of serum Th2 chemokines. Although therapeutic effectiveness of IFN-gamma is caused at least partly by augmented activity of cytotoxic T cells against the tumor cells, its modulation on chemokine production remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

Alterations in the serum levels of Th1 chemokines, IP-10 and MIG, and Th2 chemokines, TARC and MDC, were examined in mycosis fungoides patients treated with recombinant IFN-gamma.

METHODS

Four patients with mycosis fungoides received intravenous injections of IFN-gamma for 14 or 28 days. On day 0, 7, 14, and 28, sera were obtained from the patients, and the concentrations of TARC, MDC, IP-10, and MIG were measured by ELISA, along with the percentages of peripheral blood Th1 and Th2 cells.

RESULTS

Whereas the levels of TARC and MDC were decreased by IFN-gamma treatment, those of IP-10 and MIG were increased. In particular, the increment of MIG was remarkable. No substantial change of Th1 or Th2 cell number was observed.

CONCLUSION

In IFN-gamma treatment as well as other therapies, TARC may serve as a marker for the disease activity of mycosis fungoides. The dramatic elevation of MIG by IFN-gamma suggests the strong dependency of MIG production on IFN-gamma and the participation of MIG in skin-infiltration of tumoricidal cytotoxic T cells.