Prolonged elevations of soluble interleukin-2 receptors in tuberculosis.
In order to determine whether tuberculosis is associated with elevated levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (SIL-2R), patients with both pulmonary (n = 12) and extrapulmonary (n = 8) disease were studied. SIL-2R were measured in sera using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Prior to treatment, all 20 patients had levels of SIL-2R significantly greater than those of the 14 control subjects. Longitudinal study of patients with pulmonary disease revealed that levels of SIL-2R remained elevated in 11 of 12 patients after 2 months, and in four of six patients after 3 months of treatment. These findings suggest that tuberculosis is characterized by prolonged activation of the immune system despite optimal chemotherapy and that SIL-2R may distinguish active immunity from immunologic memory to this infection.
Brown
A E
AE
Department of Immunology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, APO San Francisco, California 96346-5000.
Rieder
K T
KT
Webster
H K
HK
D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2