title: Systemic (serum) soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in corneal transplant recipients.
abstract: Elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels (sIL-2R), a measure of T cell activation, have been used as a serum marker for early rejection in solid organ transplant patients. In this preliminary study, we measured sequential sIL-2R levels of 53 otherwise immunologically normal corneal transplant recipients. Eleven of these transplants rejected; sIL-2R was significantly elevated during the acute rejection episode, compared to pre-rejection and post-rejection levels (p = 0.01). Five patients' sIL-2R rose one to nine months prior to rejection. These data indicate that sIL-2R levels may correlate with corneal graft rejection and may be predictive of impending rejection. A larger prospective study with many immunologically normal patients and careful monitoring of sIL-2R levels prior to and during the acute rejection episode will be necessary to determine the value of sIL-2R monitoring as a predictive tool for corneal graft rejection.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School Boston.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merchant
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002386:Cataract / Q000097:blood; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2