Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor in eosinophilia.

The relationship between soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels and clinical characteristics was evaluated in patients with eosinophilia. Thirty-eight out of 60 patients showed sIL-2R levels of more than 800 U/ml. In these patients, sIL-2R was closely related to the eosinophil count, but not the IgE level. Their underlying diseases were heterogeneous, including neoplasms and collagen diseases. In patients with lower sIL-2R levels, there was no relationship to the eosinophil count, but sIL-2R was correlated with the IgE level. These findings indicate that patients with eosinophilia and higher sIL-2R levels tend to have underlying diseases other than allergy, and might be more severely ill than patients with lower sIL-2R levels. sIL-2R may be a good marker for evaluating patients with eosinophilia, as an indicator of the probable etiology and severity of their diseases. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel