title: Serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha correlates with the clinical course and activity of Wilms' tumour and soft tissue sarcomas in children.
abstract: Wilms' tumour (WT) and soft tissue sarcomas (SA) in children lack reliable biochemical markers. This study was carried out to determine the clinical significance of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) in the diagnostics and treatment monitoring of children with WT and SA. The study included 48 children: ten with WT, eight with SA and 30 healthy controls. The sIL-2Ralpha levels (ELISA) and rates of elevated sIL-2Ralpha values were estimated prospectively at diagnosis and in complete remission during treatment and after therapy. As the dependence on age was determined, the levels of sIL-2Ralpha were expressed as multiplications of the upper value of the normal range for a particular age ( xN). Median pretreatment levels of sIL-2Ralpha in patients exceeded those of healthy controls (1.79 xN for WT and 1.53 for SA vs. 0.61 for controls; p < 0.001) as did the rates of elevated sIL-2Ralpha values (80% of WTand 87.5% of SA patients vs. 0% of controls). Good response to therapy was paralleled by a significant decline of pretreatment sIL-2Ralpha levels and its elevated rates. Thus, sIL-2Ralpha determination may be of some value in the diagnostics and treatment monitoring of childhood WT and SA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Haematology, Oncology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. ebien@amg.gda.pl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bien
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balcerska
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuchta
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit