To the Editor.—
We describe the antineoplastic effect of recombinant interleukin 2 on malignant tumors of the epidermis by intralesional injection.
Report of Cases.—
Case 1.—A 44-year-old woman had a 31 × 22 mm, sharply defined plaque on her right waist, whose biopsy specimen was histologically diagnosed as superficial basal cell epithelioma. The lesion was treated by intralesional injection of recombinant interleukin 2 (TGP-3, Takeda Chemical Industries Co, Osaka, Japan). The recombinant interleukin 2 was given at a dose of 1000 U once daily for 13 consecutive days. In the second biopsy performed the day after the last injection, the epidermis had moderate inflammatory cell infiltration, without any necrotic cells or cell debris. Particularly, all basalioma cells were replaced by nearly normal epidermal cells showing orthokeratinization. In the upper aspect of the dermis there were numerous inflammatory cells, including scattered eosinophils. Immunohistochemically, OKT8— positive cells were scattered in considerable numbers