Increased levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in veno-occlusive disease of the liver after allogenic bone marrow transplantation.
Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and interleukin (IL)-6 were studied in patients who developed veno-occlusive disease of the liver (VOD) after allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). sIL-2R increased by a mean of 366% in 10 VOD patients. This was significantly higher than in control patients (n = 12) undergoing BMT without major complications (103%, P = 0.002) or in patients (n = 10) with grade II or III acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (139%, P = 0.003). Peak sIL-2R levels occurred on day 17 +/- 4 (mean +/- SD) after BMT in VOD patients versus on day 29 +/- 11 in patients with grades II-III aGVHD (P = 0.006). Mean maximum sIL-2R values in VOD patients were 4548 +/- 1420 (+/- SD, U/ml), which was significantly higher than the value of 2123 +/- 1023 U/ml in control patients undergoing BMT without major complications (P < 0.001). In patients with grade II or III aGVHD, mean maximum sIL-2R levels were 3076 +/- 2264 U/ml. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6 were also increased during VOD and aGVHD, with peak levels occurring at the same time as peak sIL-2R levels in most patients. We found no difference in peak levels between VOD and acute GVHD patients. To conclude, an early dramatic increase in sIL-2R was seen in patients with VOD. Inflammatory cytokines like IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma also increased during VOD and aGVHD.
Division of Clinical Immunology, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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M
Remberger
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O
Ringdén
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood; D006504:Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D015850:Interleukin-6; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha