{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T21:18:25Z","timestamp":1777929505367,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"S. Karger AG","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]],"date-time":"2009-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1246320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]],"date-time":"2009-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1246320000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/pages\/terms-and-conditions"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Oncology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The mechanisms responsible for the immunostimulatory role of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) are still obscure. To investigate the influence of MLT on interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced immune effects in cancer, we compared the results obtained in 14 cancer patients treated with IL-2 (6 x 106 IU\/day s.c. for 5 days\/week for 4 weeks) plus MLT (10 mg\/day orally) with those seen in 14 patients treated with IL-2 alone and with those obtained from 14 other patients treated with MLT only. All patients were affected by metastatic solid neoplasms. The increase in the mean number of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, CD25-positive cells and eosinophils was significantly higher in patients treated with IL-2 plus MLT than in those receiving IL-2 alone. On the contrary, the increase in mean serum levels of the macrophage marker neo-pterin was significantly higher in patients treated with IL-2 alone than in those treated with IL-2 plus MLT. Finally, MLT alone has no significant effect on immune cell mean number and on neopterin secretion. These results would suggest that the immunostimulatory action of M LT requires the concomitant presence of IL-2 and that two of the main target cells for MLT activity in humans are represented by T helper lymphocytes of type 2, which are involved in IL-2-induced eosinophilia by the release of IL-5, and macrophages, which may inhibit IL-2-dependent immune functions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1159\/000227218","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,7,6]],"date-time":"2009-07-06T06:41:43Z","timestamp":1246862503000},"page":"399-402","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":48,"title":["A Study of the Mechanisms Involved in the Immunostimulatory Action of the Pineal Hormone in Cancer Patients"],"prefix":"10.1159","author":[{"given":"P.","family":"Lissoni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"S.","family":"Barni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"G.","family":"Tancini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"F.","family":"Rovelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Ardizzoia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"G.J.M.","family":"Maestroni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"127","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]},"container-title":["Oncology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/227218","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1159\/000227218","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T23:39:26Z","timestamp":1777678766000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article\/doi\/10.1159\/000227218"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/000227218","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0030-2414","1423-0232"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0030-2414","type":"print"},{"value":"1423-0232","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2009,6,30]]}}}