title: Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute graft-versus-host disease still represents the major factor that limits successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Cytokines released by type 1 T-helper cells are thought to play a pivotal role in acute graft-versus-host disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to investigate whether the serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were associated with the manifestation of acute graft-versus-host disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum cytokine levels were measured by sandwich ELISA in 18 patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were increased in patients in whom acute graft-versus-host disease developed. However, only serum soluble IL-2 receptor levels were significantly related to disease severity. Serum levels of IL-12 and IL-18, both of which are mainly produced by activated macrophages, were increased in different phases of acute graft-versus-host disease, especially grade I. Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor and IFN-gamma were significantly elevated in patients with fever.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor were more closely related to the severity of acute graft-versus-host disease than those of IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Biochemistry, the Fifth Department of Medicine, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uoshima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karasuno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teshima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaoka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000097:blood; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012995:Solubility; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma