Soluble interleukin-2 receptor in lupus nephritis

Abstract EN

This work aimed at investigating serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) concentration in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, to correlate these concentrations with disease activity and to find out the possible value of sIL-2R as an indicator of early renal involvement.

The study was performed on 30 SLE patients and 10 normal control subjects.

ESR, hematocrit (HCT), total leucocytic count, platelet count, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and 24 hours urinary protein excretion, serum complement components C3 and C4, and serum sIL-2R were determined and their results were analyzed in relation to the clinical activity score [Systemic Lupus Activity Measures (SLAM)].

The study revealed that sIL-2R was significantly higher in SLE patients when compared to the control group.

When we divided our patients into two groups according to the presence or absence of lupus nephritis (LN), it was found that among the 30 patients studied in this work, eleven patients were found to have laboratory and renal biopsy evidence of LN.

Serum sIL-2R was found to be significantly higher in patients of this group when compared to the group of patients without nephritis.

We concluded that sIL-2R may serve as a marker of disease activity in SLE especially in LN patients, and sIL-2R may be an indicator of early renal involvement in SLE patients before the appearance of laboratory and radiological abnormalities.