Soluble serum interleukin 2 receptors in patients with asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
BACKGROUND
When T cells are activated, they produce two distinct surface receptors for interleukin 2 (IL2). One of these surface receptors is a 55-kD protein called IL2Ra which is released into peripheral blood following T cell activation. This soluble protein (sIL2R) can be measured in peripheral blood utilizing an ELISA, and thus provides an indirect indicator of T cell activation.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) was associated with increased soluble interleukin 2 receptors (sIL2R).


METHODS
We used the Immunoenzymometric Assay Kit (Immunotech International, Marseille, France) which had a monoclonal antibody to sIL2R to sensitize wells. To determine the degree of T cell activation in patients with asthma and ABPA, we have evaluated the concentration of sIL2R in the peripheral blood in four groups: (1) 26 nonatopic patients, (2) 39 patients skin test positive to Aspergillus who did not have serologic evidence of ABPA, (3) 14 patients with quiescent ABPA, and (4) 13 patients who had a new roentgenographic infiltrate from ABPA.


RESULTS
The mean concentration of sIL2R in the four groups were 24.5 pM (+/- 16.7), 38.4 pM (+/- 27.2), 48.4 pM (+/- 28.2), and 64.8 pM (+/- 33.0), respectively. Group 4 was greater than groups 1 and 2 (P < .05), and group 3 was greater than group 1 (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with ABPA that is flaring, there is greater T cell activation than in either nonatopic controls or in patients who have asthma. Patients with ABPA in remission also had significantly greater T cell activation than nonatopic controls.
Brown
J E
JE
Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Greenberger
P A
PA
Yarnold
P R
PR
D001229:Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000737:chemistry; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012995:Solubility; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011241:Prednisone