Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor in colorectal cancer.

Preoperative serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels were measured in patients with colorectal cancer, and correlated with various factors as stage, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, grade, serum CEA and IAP (immunosuppressive acidic protein). The levels of serum soluble IL-2R in Dukes stage C were significantly higher than in normal control and in Dukes stage A. Serum levels were also significantly higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in patients without such metastasis, and in IAP positive patients compared to IAP negative patients. Preoperative serum IL-2R levels thus seem to reflect the stage of the disease.