Serum interleukin-2-receptor in coeliac disease: response to treatment and gluten challenge.
Concentrations of the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in the serum of 33 patients with coeliac disease were measured by ELISA. The levels of sIL-2R were significantly raised in 15 patients with untreated coeliac disease compared with treated patients and age- and sex-matched symptomatic and non-symptomatic control groups. Longitudinal studies in individual coeliac patients showed that serum sIL-2R fell following commencement of a gluten-free diet. Gluten challenge of 16 treated coeliac patients for 1 week resulted in a significant increase in serum sIL-2R, which returned to prechallenge levels within 4 weeks of recommencement of a gluten-free diet. We suggest that serum sIL-2R levels in patients with coeliac disease reflect specific immunological activation in response to gluten ingestion. Measurement of serum sIL-2R may therefore be useful in the assessment of response to treatment in patients with coeliac disease.
Crabtree
J E
JE
Department of Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, England.
Heatley
R V
RV
Juby
L D
LD
Howdle
P D
PD
Losowsky
M S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005983:Glutens; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D005983:Glutens