Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) as a predictor of outcome in brucellosis.
OBJECTIVE
Brucellosis is characterized by chronicity and relapses despite efficacious treatment. Cytokines and especially the Th1/Th2 balance may be involved in the susceptibility or resistance to the Brucella species. In order to identify predictors of treatment outcome, we measured the pre and posttreatment levels of serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble IL-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) in 20 children with brucellosis. All children were treated for 6 weeks and three of them (15%) presented with a relapse at 2, 3 and 8 months after treatment had ended.


RESULTS
Serum IL-2 levels, both pretreatment and posttreatment, did not significantly differ between patients and controls. By contrast, pretreatment sIL-2Ralpha levels were significantly higher in patients (P< or =0.0001) than in controls. sIL-2Ralpha levels significantly declined (P<0.001) after the 6-week antibiotic regimen in the 17 children who subsequently had a good outcome without relapses, but not in the three patients who relapsed.


CONCLUSIONS
A decline in serum sIL-2Ralpha levels might be used as a marker of treatment efficacy in brucellosis.
Makis
Alexandros C
AC
Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, Ioannina 45110, Greece. me00350@cc.uoi.gr
Galanakis
Emmanouil
E
Hatzimichael
Eleftheria C
EC
Papadopoulou
Zoe L
ZL
Siamopoulou
Antigone
A
Bourantas
Konstantinos L
KL
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012995:Solubility; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D012293:Rifampin