Interleukin-2 in the Complex Treatment of Surgical Patients

Abstract

Immunotherapy for surgical diseases remains one of the urgent scientific and clinical issues. Immunodeficiency is manifested in patients with purulent wounds, pancreatic necrosis, osteomyelitis, oncological diseases, echinococcosis, gastroduodenal ulcers and other pathology. Drugs inducing interleukin-2 synthesis have shown high efficacy for the correction of immunodeficiency status. Clinical effects of rIL-2 are due to its ability to activate clonal proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes, to enhance the effector potential of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL cells) and natural killer cells (NK cells), functional activity of mononuclear phagocytes and antigen-presenting cells, synthesis of specific immunoglobulins of most isotypes by plasma cells and to reduce apoptosis of mononuclears. This cytokine is a key link determining the development of cellular and humoral immunity. Interleukin-2 provides antitumor, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal protection, being able to stimulate the processes of tissue regeneration and repair. The high clinical activity of the drug was revealed in the treatment of endotoxicosis, immunological insufficiency, inflammatory diseases in patients with surgical, oncological, traumatological, combustiological, resuscitation profiles, involving abdominal organs, pelvis and retroperitoneal space. It is rational to use recombinant interleukin-2 in case of previous inefficient conventional treatment and the process chronization. The drug has a number of positive aspects: rapid effect; reduced terms of treatment, frequency of infectious complications and sepsis; reduced mortality rate. The negative side of its administration is its high cost. Thus, immunosuppressive conditions are manifested in multiple surgical diseases. High clinical efficacy of recombinant interleukin 2, absence of complications, adverse reactions and undesirable effects, and favourable tolerability of the drug allow recommending it for wider use in surgical practice.