Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma * Mucosal or ocular melanoma also eligible * Clinically evaluable disease * At least 1 site of measurable disease PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 16 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * At least 3 months Hematopoietic * WBC at least 2,500/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL * Hematocrit at least 30% Hepatic * Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)\* (less than 3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome) * AST no greater than 3 times ULN\* * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * Hepatitis C antibody nonreactive * No evidence or history of significant hepatic disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 NOTE: \*Unless attributable to disease Renal * Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL * No evidence or history of significant renal disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 Cardiovascular * No evidence or history of significant cardiac disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 * Thallium stress test normal (for patients over 50 years of age or with a history of cardiovascular disease) Pulmonary * No evidence or history of significant pulmonary disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 Immunologic * HIV negative * No autoimmune disease (including uveitis and autoimmune inflammatory eye disease) * No active infection Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No evidence or history of significant gastrointestinal disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 * No evidence or history of psychiatric disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 * No other underlying medical condition that would make the administration of the study drug hazardous or obscure the interpretation of adverse events * No other concurrent medical condition that would preclude study entry PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy for melanoma and recovered * No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-CTLA4) * No prior high-dose (at least 600,000 IU/kg every 8 hours) interleukin-2 (IL-2) Chemotherapy * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy for melanoma and recovered * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy for melanoma and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior corticosteroids * No concurrent systemic or topical corticosteroids Radiotherapy * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy for melanoma and recovered Surgery * Not specified Other * No concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine or its analog)