Int J Oncol 2002 Apr;20(4):839-43
Merimsky O, Meller I, Inbar M, Bar-Yehuda S, Shoenfeld Y, Fishman P.
Department of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv
64239, Israel.
A patient with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) was treated with IVIg for multiple sclerosis.
Her MPNST course was remarkably longer and more indolent than expected; she achieved a disease-free interval (DFI) of 30 months.
Seven other patients, who were not treated by IVIg, had a relatively aggressive course (median DFI 3 months).
These results led us to examine the effect of IVIg on the growth of sarcoma in vitro and in vivo in an experimental model of MCA-bearing mice.
When added to MCA-105 sarcoma cell cultures, IVIg produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on [3H]-thymidine incorporation.
The maximal inhibitory effect was at a concentration of 50 mg/ml IVIg. Cell cycle analysis revealed a hypodiploid peak at the lower fluorescence values which appeared in the samples treated with IVIg.
These results demonstrate that the anti-proliferative activity results from an apoptotic effect of IVIg on the tumor cells. In a second set of experiments, we evaluated the capability of IVIg, when administered orally or subcutaneously, to inhibit the growth of MCA-105 sarcoma lung metastases.
A decrease in the mean lung weight was observed in the mice that were treated by s.c. or oral administration, the latter being more effective.
A possible role for IVIg in the treatment of MPNST and other soft tissue sarcomas is suggested.