Abstract
The levels of soluble interleukinβ2 receptors (sILβ2R) were determined in the serum of 53 patients with Bβcell lymphoproliferative malignancies, including 31 patients with nonβHodgkin lymphomas (NHL), 16 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and 6 with multiple myeloma. In addition, serum samples from 40 patients with various solid tumors as well as from 53 healthy individuals were used as controls. It was found that the mean serum levels of sILβ2R were significantly increased (P < 0.001) in NHL (mean Β± standard error of the mean 2,327 Β± 320 units/ml) and CLL patients (2517 Β± 451 units/ml) as compared to normal controls (207 Β± 17 units/ml). No such difference was observed when the serum sILβ2R levels of patients with multiple myeloma or solid tumors were analyzed. Serum sILβ2R levels were closely related to the clinical stage, the presence of Bβsymptoms, and the disease activity of patients with NHL and CLL. In fact, response to chemotherapy was followed by marked decrease or normalization of sILβ2R levels, while in a number of patients sILβ2R values were even able to predict disease relapse. Finally, no association with histologic grade in NHL patients, could be demonstrated.
We conclude that serum sILβ2R (1) are increased only in BβNHL and BβCLL but not in myeloma patients, (2) are related to the tumor burden, and (3) can serve as a valuable tumor marker for the monitoring of patients treatment.