title: Clinical significance of serum soluble IL-2R levels in patients with adult T cell leukaemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 carriers.
abstract: The levels of soluble IL-2Ralpha (sIL-2Ralpha) in serum were measured in HTLV-1 carriers and ATL patients in order to evaluate their possible correlation with clinical status. Mean sIL-2R levels in ATL patients were found to be 9704 U/ml for the acute/lymphoma type, 1961 U/ml for the chronic type and 788 U/ml for the smouldering type. The level for asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers was 475 U/ml, and 165 U/ml for healthy young adult HTLV-1- controls. The serial measurement of sIL-2R in ATL patients, healthy HTLV-1 carriers, and HTLV-1 carriers with diseases other than ATL showed a good correlation between serum levels of sIL-2R and the pathophysiological status of disease. Furthermore, an increase in the sIL-2Ralpha level in serum indicated the exacerbation of HTLV-1 infection and autoimmune diseases. The measurement of sIL-2Ralpha levels is therefore a very useful parameter for determining disease status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Technology, School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyu, Japan. karaki@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiroma
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyakuni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002474:Cell-Free System / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2