title: Induction of soluble IL-2 receptor in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes undergoing high-dose interleukin-3 treatment.
abstract: Sera of ten healthy controls and of 15 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) were investigated for soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) with a cell-free enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The patients with MDS underwent treatment with IL-3: eight patients at dose levels of 250 and 500 micrograms/m2 s.c. daily for 15 days, and seven patients at the dose levels of 60 and 125 micrograms/m2 s.c. three times per week for 12 weeks. None of the patients had reported infectious episodes or been under treatment with cytotoxic drugs and/or cytokines within the preceding 2 months. sIL-2R levels were elevated in MDS patients compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). sIL-2R increased in the high-dose treatment group from 504 +/- 68 U/ml to 731 +/- 199 U/ml (p < 0.025). The increased sIL-2R expression in MDS could be a primary event due to involvement of lymphocytes in the malignant clone or due to a secondary alteration of the cytokine network caused by chronic neutropenia. A down-regulation of the immune response caused by neutralization of free IL-2 by sIL-2R during IL-3 therapy seems possible.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Hämatologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seipelt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganser
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duranceyk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Ottmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoelzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2