Plasma and tissue interleukin-2 receptor levels in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Plasma and tissue interleukin‐2 receptor (IL‐2R) levels were determined in patients with active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Compared with healthy controls (median 440 U/ml; range 240–900), significantly higher levels of plasma IL‐2R were present in patients with active ulcerative colitis (median 1180 U/ml; range 580–7150; P < 0.002) and Crohn's disease (median 1340 U/ml; range 480–9000; P < 0002). Compared with other laboratory parameters, plasma IL‐2R levels were related most closely to clinical score of disease activity in Crohn's disease. Plasma IL‐2R levels also reflected the clinical course and may provide a more accurate assessment of disease activity in Crohn's disease. In plasma of patients undergoing intestinal resection of active inflammatory bowel disease, raised levels of IL‐2R were present in samples from mesenteric vein (draining inflamed intestine) compared with those from peripheral vein. In tissue homogenates of colonic biopsies, significantly higher levels of IL‐2R were present in specimens from colons with active ulcerative colitis compared with healthy controls (median 230.2, range 20.7–581.5 versus 77.9, range 34.2–291.3; P < 0.02).