[Measurement of five cytokines in the serum of malignant lymphoma patients].
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical significance of serum cytokine levels in patients with malignant lymphoma(ML).


METHODS
Serum levels of five cytokines and receptor were measured in 49 patients with ML by RIA and ELISA.


RESULTS
Except TNF alpha, significantly higher pretreatment levels of interleukin-2(IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R), interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-8(IL-8) were observed in most of ML patients at diagnosis or relapse as compared with controls(P < 0.05). Cytokine levels declined in responding patients after therapy and there were no differences between CR cases and controls, the cytokine levels remained elevated in non-responding patients. The levels of IL-2 and sIL-2R correlated with the clinical stage, which were significantly higher in patients in stage III, IV. The increase of sIL-2R correlated with the tumor burden. The level of IL-6 was higher in patients presenting B symptoms and had no correlation with the clinical stage. The elevated IL-8 level correlated with the clinical stage and presenting B symptoms of ML patients and had no correlation with other clinical-hematological parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The changes of cytokines may be served as a means to observe the condition of ML patients and supervise their response to treatment.
Zhu
H
H
Department of Hematology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing.
Wang
Y
Y
Han
X
X
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha