The psychological and psychiatric effects of rIL-2 therapy: a controlled clinical trial

Cognitive deficits associated with cancer: A model of subjective and objective outcomes

“…For example, when chemotherapy was supplemented with interleukin treatment, both negative mood and cognitive impairment increased in patients, compared with chemotherapy alone (Walker et al, 1997). Affective symptoms in people with cancer may indicate underlying neurological deficits (Oxman & Silberfarb, 1987).…”

“…The six patients described by So et al showed apathy, abulia, memory loss, gait ataxia, and corticospinal tract signs. Certain leukaemia patients are potentially at risk of cognitive impairment because of elevated circulating levels of cytokines, which have been associated with cognitive and mood dysfunction (Licinio, Kling, & Hauser, 1998;Walker et al, 1997).…”

“…Cytokine treatment with interferon has been associated with impaired performance on attentional tasks, such as Digit Symbol and Trailmaking B (Capuron, Ravaud, & Dantzer, 2001;Licinio et al, 1998). Deficits were significantly worse in people who received cytokines combined with chemotherapy, compared with chemotherapy alone, and impairments were reversed with cessation of cytokine treatment (Walker et al, 1997). The early onset of cytokine cognitive effects was shown in a study which found that people treated with interleukin-2 showed a decline in performance in spatial working memory and planning that was apparent at both 5 days and 1 month of treatment compared with pretreatment (Capuron et al, 2001).…”

Psychiatric issues in older cancer patients

“…Immunotherapeutic agents like interleukin-2 can cause delirious symptoms, including hallucinations, disorientation, and confusion [57]. Amphotericin B, used regularly for the treatment of fungal infections in immunologically compromised cancer patients, can cause delirium, particularly with intrathecal administration.…”

The Impact of Soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor as a Biomarker of Delirium

“…Furthermore, the therapeutic use of recombinant IL-2 may have a number of adverse neuropsychiatric effects, such as delirious state, disorientation, auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as impairments on attention and cognition. [31][32][33] The binding of IL-2 to the IL-2 receptor at the lymphocyte's surface transmits the actual activity stimulus to the T-lymphocytes. IL-2-activated lymphocytes increase the number of membrane-bound IL-2 receptors and at the same time release a soluble form soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) into the bloodstream.…”