Plasma soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels in patients with malignant lymphoma are correlated with disease activity but not cellular immunosuppression.
Studies of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and plasma from patients with malignant lymphoma [Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)] show that plasma soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL2R) levels are closely linked with disease status [normal volunteers (n = 15) 402 +/- 158 u/ml; patients with Hodgkin's disease in remission (n = 4) 525 +/- 195 u/ml or with active disease (n = 11) 3026 +/- 1602 u/ml (p < 0.001); patients with non Hodgkin's lymphoma in remission (n = 6) 462 +/- 202 u/ml, active disease (n = 15) 2713 +/- 1755 u/ml, (p < 0.001)] but no correlation between sIL2R and the inhibition of interleukin 2 (IL2) generated cytotoxicity for the cell line K562. In only 1 of 15 patient plasma samples studied was there a dose dependent inhibition of IL2 generated cell killing. In a further patient, IL2 generated K562 killing was inhibited at all doses (500-3000 brmp units/ml); treatment of this plasma with anti-Interleukin 4 (alpha IL4) had no effect on the potent inhibitory activity of the plasma. Plasma sIL2R levels were markedly elevated in patients receiving IL2 in vivo (pre treatment 520 +/- 170 IU/ml, during treatment 5578 +/- 2564 IU/ml, p = 0.05). The aetiology of immunosuppression in patients with lymphoma appears to be multi-factorial; although sIL2R correlates with disease activity it does not appear to directly mediate immunosuppression in most patients with malignant lymphoma.
Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, UK.
M D
MD
Hamon
E
E
Unal
I
I
Macdonald
F
F
Shamim
E
E
Boesen
H G
HG
Prentice
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4