title: Clinical significance of serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in patients with localized scleroderma.
abstract: Localized scleroderma has been reported to be accompanied by abnormal immune reactions, including autoantibody production and lymphocyte activation. Lymphocyte activation can be quantitatively detected by measuring soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in serum samples. In this study, serum sIL-2R levels were assayed by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in 48 patients with localized scleroderma, in 20 with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and in 20 healthy controls. Serum levels of sIL-2R were significantly higher in patients with localized scleroderma than in healthy controls. The serum levels of sIL-2R were correlated with the number of sclerotic lesions, the number of involved areas, the levels of anti-ssDNA, and the levels of antihistone antibody immunoglobulin M. Moreover, sIL-2R levels in sera from patients with SSc were also significantly higher than in healthy controls. Elevated serum levels of sIL-2R in localized scleroderma suggest that lymphocyte activation is one of the early processes in the development of this disease.
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ihn
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sato
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Fujimoto
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kikuchi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Takehara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2