Serum Concentrations Of Interleukin-2 Receptor Research Articles

Evaluation of serum interleukin 2 receptor and beta-2-microglobulin as prognostic factors for canine lymphoma: A pilot study.

Interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) is released from activated T cell lymphocytes and related to proliferation of B cells and T cells. Beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) is synthesized from all nucleated cells and constitutes a major histocompatibility complex class I antigen. In human medicine, high concentrations of these two factors have been found to be related to prognosis in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this pilot study, we aimed to assess the correlation between the serum concentration of IL-2R and B2M and the diagnosis and prognosis of canine lymphoma. This study included 8 healthy dogs and 17 dogs with lymphoma. To measure the serum concentration of IL-2R and B2M, a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used. In dogs with lymphoma, IL-2R concentrations were significantly high at the time of diagnosis, but B2M concentrations were not. In relapsed dogs, both IL-2R and B2M concentrations were significantly higher than those in the control and chemotherapy response groups. When the serum concentrations of IL-2R and B2M during chemotherapy were monitored in four relapsed dogs, B2M levels were more closely related with relapse. This study demonstrated that serum IL-2R and B2M concentration can be a diagnostic or prognostic tool for canine lymphoma. Monitoring of serum B2M concentration seems to be useful for predicting relapse.

Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in patients with gastric cancer.

Serum concentrations of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) were found to be high in patients with autoimmune diseases, lung cancer, malignant lymphoma, tuberculosis, and other diseases. Serum-soluble IL-2R was evaluated as a tumor maker in patients with gastric cancer. Preoperative concentrations of serum-soluble IL-2R were examined in 40 patients with gastric cancer. The authors investigated the correlations of serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations with various characteristics of this cancer (disease stage, gross appearance, depth of the tumor, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal metastasis, histopathologic grade, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-FTP), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP). Serum soluble IL-2R concentrations were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of serum-soluble IL-2R in patients with gastric cancer were significantly higher than those of normal control subjects. Serum concentrations of IL-2R in patients with lymph node metastasis were also significantly higher than those of patients without lymph node metastasis. There were no significant differences in histopathologic findings (grade, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion). Moreover, serum concentrations of soluble IL-2R in patients who were IAP positive were significantly higher than those who were IAP negative. Preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations in patients with gastric cancer reflect the occurrence of regional lymph node metastases. Preoperative evaluation of serum soluble IL-2R concentrations may be a valuable parameter of indicating the probability of lymph node metastasis preoperatively.

Immune abnormalities in schizophrenia: evidence for the autoimmune hypothesis.

The autoimmune basis for schizophrenia has been investigated for the last 60 years. Although numerous immune abnormalities have been reported, the current literature is viewed with much skepticism because most of the studies have failed to control for extraneous factors that may have influenced the findings. Principally, antipsychotic medication, duration of illness, and current clinical state (acutely psychotic or remitted) may considerably alter immune response, as may other factors such as nutritional status, substance abuse, and concurrent medical illness. We review recent studies that employed current diagnostic criteria and modern immunologic techniques. (These studies were located by use of a Medline search on the terms schizophrenia and psychosis, cross-referenced with immune abnormalities, lymphokines, antibodies, lymphocytes, HLA, and medication, and by perusing the reference lists in the articles found through this search.) Immune abnormalities that have been replicated in studies of schizophrenic patients include increased prevalence of antinuclear antibodies, decreased production of interleukin-2, and increased serum concentrations of interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-6. Given the current importance of autoimmunity as an etiologic mechanism in several branches of medicine, further studies are needed, especially those having a longitudinal design and including drug-naive patients.

EFFECT OF PROPYLTHIOURACIL AND METHIMAZOLE ON SERUM LEVELS OF INTERLEUKIN‐2 RECEPTORS IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIASIS

We have previously reported clinical improvement in patients with psoriasis who received orally administered antithyroid thioureylenes, propylthiouracil (PTU), and methimazole (MMI). The antithyroid drugs are believed to exert immunomodulatory effects based on the results of studies in patients with Graves' disease, the only disease in which they are clinically used. The potential of these drugs to mediate clinical improvement in patients with psoriasis by reducing expression of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R), a marker of early T and B cell activation, was addressed in the present study. Baseline serum concentrations of IL2R were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) in 15 patients with stable plaque psoriasis and in the same patients after 8 weeks of oral therapy with either 300 mg of propylthiouracil (n = 7) or 40 mg methimazole (n = 8) given daily. Baseline values were compared with normal controls. Serum IL2R concentrations in the psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in normal controls. After treatment with PTU or MMI, IL2R serum concentrations were not significantly reduced either in the group as a whole or separately in the PTU and MMI treated patients. Since elevated serum concentrations of IL2R often reflect T and B cell activation, and elevated IL2R serum levels are seen in several autoimmune diseases, it is speculated that the beneficial effect of thioureylenes in patients with psoriasis is mediated by some mechanism(s) other than reduction of IL2R expression in activated lymphocytes.

Soluble Interleukin 2 Receptor and Tissue Polypeptide Antigen Serum Concentrations in End-Stage Renal Failure

Serum concentrations of soluble interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) were measured in 65 hemodialysis patients and compared with serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA). Elevated IL-2R levels, found in 85% of examined patients, correlated with elevated TPA serum concentrations (p less than 0.05). Patients with high IL-2R levels were significantly younger (p less than 0.05) than patients with low levels. Primary renal disease and residual renal function had no significant influence on TPA or IL-2R serum concentrations. In 16 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, increased serum concentrations of IL-2R (p less than 0.005) and TPA (p less than 0.001) were found. We conclude that a non-specific dialysis-induced activation of epithelial and lymphoid cells rather than a specific immune response could explain the concomitant elevation of IL-2R and TPA serum concentrations in hemodialyzed patients. Patients with pronounced cell turnover, reflected by elevated IL-2R and TPA levels, may show an increased susceptibility to dialysis-associated amyloidosis.

Factors Influencing the Response to Hepatitis B Vaccination of Hemodialysis Patients

The response rate and HBsAG antibody concentrations were examined after hepatitis B vaccination in 78 hemodialysis patients aged between 29 and 79 years. The values were related to age, duration of hemodialysis, body weight, creatinine, urea nitrogen, serum concentrations of beta 2-microglobulin and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R). Patients with low anti-HBsAG antibody concentrations (10-100 mU/ml) had significantly higher IL-2R serum concentrations than those with high anti-HBsAG antibody concentrations (greater than 3,000 mU/ml; p less than 0.05). Discriminant multivariate analysis (p = 0.032) revealed the influence (62%) of IL-2R on the response rate while other factors were similar in all patient groups. It is concluded that preactivation of T cells with an increased release of IL-2R may contribute to impaired immune response after hepatitis B vaccination.