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.
Hamon
M D
MD
Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, UK.
Unal
E
E
Macdonald
I
I
Shamim
F
F
Boesen
E
E
Prentice
H G
HG
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