title: Lymphocyte release of soluble IL-2 receptors in patients with minimal change nephropathy.
abstract: Minimal change nephrotic syndrome has been reported to be a lymphocyte-mediated disorder. It has been suggested that the secretion of lymphokine(s) is involved in the pathogenesis of MCN and in determining proteinuria. The presence of a soluble form of IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) has been previously described in the sera of patients with some autoimmune disorders. In this work, we report the detection of high sIL-2R levels, both in the plasma (mean value 844 +/- 436 U/ml versus normal value 276 +/- 86 U/ml) and urine of patients with MCN during the nephrotic phase alone. Instead, when the patients achieve stable remission, sIL-2R levels decrease to within normal values (mean value 332 +/- 272 U/ml). Furthermore, during the nephrotic syndrome we observed a significant inverse relationship between sIL-2R plasma levels and the mitogenic response to PHA (p less than 0.005). Since sIL-2R exerts a down-modulation on T-proliferative expansion, sIL-2R might represent one of the inhibitory serum factors extensively reported in the serum of patients with MCN-induced nephrotic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandreoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beltrandi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casadei-Maldini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zucchelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zucchelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000652:urine; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000652:urine; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2