Soluble interleukin-2 receptor: Elevated levels in serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

✍ Scribed by A. B. Carpenter; C. H. Eisenbeis; Jr.; S. Carrabis; M. C. Brown; S. H. Ip

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 452 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-8013
• DOI: 10.1002/jcla.1860040211

✦ Synopsis

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sll-2R) levels were quantitated in the seum and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and degenerative joint disease (DJD). A sandwich immunoassay, employing two monoclonal antiodies against distinct epitopes on the lL-2R, was utilized for measurement. We found a striking elevation of slL-2R in RA SF as compared with DJD SF (RA, 1319 & 135; DJD, 416 ? 59; p < 0.001). RA serum slL-2R levels were also signifi-cantly elevated over DJD levels. There was no interaction between rheumatoid factor (RF) and sll-2R. RA patients with elevated sll-2R levels had significantly longer disease duration, higher c-reactive protein (CRP) levels in serum and SF, and higher RF levels in serum and SF. The groups were similar in regard to other laboratory variables. The presence of elevated levels of sll-2R in RA serum and SF confirms the presence of a heightened immune reactivity and in vivo activation of lymphocytes in RA.