BACKGROUND: To determine the effects of dendritic cells (DCs) and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in patients with malignant pericardial effusion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients underwent pericardial puncture and indwelling catheter insertion. After pericardial drainage, the 16 patients in the treatment group received an infusion of 20 mL DCs and CIK cells (>1.0×10¹° cells) and 500,000 U interleukin (IL)-2 for 3 successive days. The 15 control-group patients received 30 mg/m² cisplatin and 500,000 U IL-2 for 3 successive days. The treatment effects were assessed using imaging data.

RESULTS: The total efficiency and complete remission rates were higher in the treatment group than in the control group at 4 weeks (total efficiency: 87.50% vs. 73.33%; complete remission: 62.50% vs. 46.67%) and 3 months after the treatment (total efficiency: 81.25% vs. 66.67%; complete remission: 50.00% vs. 40.00%; P<0.05 for all). In both groups, the Karnofsky scores for quality of life improved after treatment. However, the curative effects were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The following adverse reactions occurred: fever, 6 treatment-group patients and 3 control-group patients; chest pain, 2 treatment-group patients and 7 control-group patients; gastrointestinal reactions, 1 treatment-group patient and 6 control-group patients; and bone marrow suppression, 1 treatment-group patient and 5 control-group patients. The between-group differences in adverse reactions were significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The combination of DCs and CIK cells effectively treated malignant pericardial effusion, produced few side effects, and improved the patients’ quality of life.

Keywords: Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells - transplantation, Dendritic Cells - transplantation, Heart Neoplasms - therapy, Immunotherapy, Adoptive - methods, Interleukin-2 - administration & dosage, Pericardial Effusion - therapy, Pleural Neoplasms - therapy, Quality of Life, Remission Induction