title: Elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptors in young healthy cigarette smokers: lack of association with atopy or airways hyperresponsiveness.
abstract: To study the relationship of atopy and nonspecific airways hyperresponsiveness to circulating levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), we measured serum sIL-2R concentrations in 40 young, healthy smokers and non-smokers. Levels of sIL-2R were significantly higher in current smokers than in nonsmokers (median sIL-2R levels 605 vs. 398 U/ml, respectively; p less than 0.05). Serum sIL-2R levels were not related to nonspecific airways hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, allergy skin test reactivity, doctor-diagnosed asthma or hay fever, or respiratory symptoms of wheeze. Among current smokers, a trend toward higher sIL-2R levels (not statistically significant) was observed among subjects reporting symptoms of phlegm production. The increase in sIL-2R levels associated with cigarette smoking was similar in magnitude to that reported for immune-mediated conditions such as collagen vascular diseases and eczema. These data confirm that cigarette smoking is an important determinant of sIL-2R level, even among young healthy subjects. This effect does not appear to be related to atopic status or bronchial responsiveness. Among cigarette smokers, sIL-2R level may be related to the presence of conditions associated with phlegm production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tollerud
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000378:metabolism*; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000378:metabolism*; D012882:Skin Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D016210:Methacholine Chloride