Background. The soluble interleukin-2 receptor
(s-IL-2R) is a soluble cytokine receptor which directly reflects
the levels of the IL-2 receptor on lymphocytes T, which, along
with the IL-2 itself, is ...important for the specific immune response.
The aim of the study. We attempted to prove diagnostic and
prognostic significance of s-IL-2R in sepsis cases.
Patients and methods. In the period of three years we examined
64 healthy blood donors and subjects in systematic health
examinations and examined 50 septic patients with clinical
and laboratory symptoms of sepsis treated in units for the intensive
therapy of adults at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases
and Febrile States at the Clinic Centre of Ljubljana. The assay
for s-IL-2R was performed with a kit from Eurogenetics (Belgium).
Results. We proved that the median concentration of s-IL-2R in
septic patients with positive and negative blood culture are
significantly higher than healthy subjects (p < 0.05) and were
also significantly higher in the blood of dead patients than in
the blood of survivors (p < 0.05). The mean concentration of
s-IL-2R did not differ in septic patients with positive blood culture
from those with negative blood culture and did not differ
for gram negative pathogens from those for gram positive pathogens.
Time dynamics showed the increase levels of s-IL-2R
for the first 48 hours.
Conclusions. s-IL-2R levels are elevated in adults with sepsis.
Elevation of s-IL-2R are significantly associated with death.
