title: Soluble serum interleukin 2 receptors in patients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels correlate with natural history of disease in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  The following groups were studied: Group I included 81 consecutive new patients with SSc. Group II consisted of 21 patients with diffuse cutaneous (dc) SSc whose peripheral blood and affected skin had been analyzed for T lymphocyte subsets. Group III contained 38 patients with dcSSc with serial sIL-2R determinations during the course of disease. sIL-2R was performed using a commercial double monoclonal antibody ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 81 Group I patients with SSc had a mean sIL-2R level of 821 units compared with 35 controls, who had a mean of 389 units (p < 0.001). sIL-2R level significantly correlated with the extent of skin thickening (p < 0.005). In Group II patients, sIL-2R was found to correlate with the CD4 to CD8 ratio. Blindly assessed clinical evidence of disease activity from the serial samples of 38 Group III patients was consistent with sIL-2R levels in 83% of the samples. There was high correlation of change in sIL-2R with change in skin score over time in Group III subjects (r = 0.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest a role for T cell activation in the pathogenesis of SSc. sIL-2R levels may be useful adjunct to clinical evaluation in assessing disease activity and predicting future events in patients with SSc.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA.
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Steen
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Charley
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Medsger
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D012995:Solubility; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2