title: Elevated serum levels of interleukin-5 in patients with the syndrome of episodic angioedema and eosinophilia.
abstract: The syndrome of episodic angioedema and eosinophilia is characterized by cyclic edema, marked peripheral blood eosinophilia, and eosinophil degranulation in the dermis. Using a sensitive immunoenzymetric method, we measured serum interleukin (IL)-5 levels in four patients with this syndrome. We also determined the percentage of activated T cells in the peripheral blood of a new patient before and during an attack. In the patient presented, IL-5 levels peaked several days before maximal eosinophilia and then declined. This patient's lymphocytes showed an increased percentage, 28% (normal 2% to 3%), of activated T cells staining for both CD3 and HLA-DR 10 days before maximal eosinophilia, but no increase at the time of peak eosinophilia. In serum from three previously reported cases, elevated serum IL-5 levels were found during attacks. After glucocorticoid administration, IL-5 levels became undetectable in three of the four patients. Production of IL-5 is likely an important determinant of the pathophysiology of this syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergic Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Butterfield
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Leiferman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gonchoroff
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gleich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000799:Angioedema / Q000097:blood*; D001835:Body Weight; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood*; D010507:Periodicity; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013577:Syndrome; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015848:Interleukin-5; D011241:Prednisone