Serum soluble interleukin 2 receptor in hyperthyroid Graves' disease and effect of carbimazole therapy.
To study the activation of T lymphocytes in hyperthyroid Graves' disease, the serum concentrations of soluble interleukin 2 receptors (sIL2R) were determined during active thyrotoxicosis and following the return to a euthyroid state with carbimazole therapy. Serum sIL2R was measured by an enzyme linked immunoassay. The mean +/- SD serum sIL2R concentration during untreated hyperthyroidism was elevated as compared with controls (919.1 +/- 523.4 vs 374.2 +/- 189.4 U/ml, P less than 0.005). However, after carbimazole therapy the serum sIL2R in euthyroid patients fell to 377.9 +/- 90.3 U/ml, which did not differ from healthy controls. Serum sIL2R correlated significantly with the serum free T3 only during hyperthyroidism (r = 0.678, P less than 0.01). Our study suggests that in vivo measurement of serum sIL2R released from activated T lymphocytes is a useful immunological indicator of disease activity.
Chow
C C
CC
Department of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Lai
K N
KN
Leung
J C
JC
Chan
J C
JC
Cockram
C S
CS
D000328:Adult; D002231:Carbimazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D002231:Carbimazole