Summary
This study describes serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in 13 healthy women, 10 women with breast dysplasia and 37 patients with breast carcinoma. A difference was found between sIL-2R levels in normal women and cancer patients. sIL-2R increased with the advance in stage of cancer but the extent of increase fell from stage III to stage IV as compared to the change from stage II to stage III. Of the 15 patients who were followed after surgery and/or therapy, 10 (67%) showed a fall in the serum sIL-2R levels. A negative correlation was found between sIL-2R levels and lymphocytic infiltration only within the malignant tissue. These findings probably indicate that sIL-2R exerts an immunomodulatory effect on blood lymphocytes by preventing their infiltration into the tumour tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind in immunology of breast carcinoma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrol SK, Shinghal RN, Saha K (1984) Cellular immunity and prognosis of human mammary carcinoma. Indian J Med Res 79: 199
Cobleigh MA, Braun DP, Harris JE (1980) Quantitation of lymphocytes and T-cell subsets in patients with disseminated cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 64: 1041
Goust JM, Roof BS, Fudenberg HH, O'Brien PH (1979) T-cell markers in breast cancer patients at diagnosis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 12: 396
Hermann E, Cannistra SA, Levine H, Griffin JD (1985) Expression of interleukin-2 receptors and binding of interleukin-2 by γ-interferon induced human leukemic and normal monocytic cells. J Exp Med 162: 1111
International Union against Cancer (1982) TNM classification of malignant tumours, 3rd edn. IUCC, Geneva
Kloster BE, John PA, Miller LE, Rubin LA, Nelson DL, Blair DC, Tomar RH (1987) Soluble interleukin-2 receptors are elevated in patients with AIDS or at risk of developing AIDS. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 45: 440
Komp DM, McNamara J, Buckley P (1989) Elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor in childhood hemophagocytic histiocytic syndrome. Blood 73: 2128
Lang JM, Coumaros G, Levy S, Falkenrodt A, Steckmeyer M, Partisani M, Alcksijevic A, Lehr L, Koehl C (1988) Elevated serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors in HIV infection: correlation studies with markers of cell activation. Immunol Lett 19: 99
Mackween L, Brown M, Ip SH, Kung PC, Yasuda N, Harrington D, Hinuma Y, Weisenburger D, Lai P, Purtilo D (1986) Serum interleukin-2 receptor as a marker for active T cell malignancies. Fed Proc 45: 454
Mehra V, Convit J, Rubinstein A, Bloom BB (1982) Activated suppressor T cells in leprosy. J Immunol 129: 1946
Nelson DL (1986) Soluble interleukin-2 receptors analysis in normal individuals and in certain disease states. Fed Proc 45: 377
Nemoto T, Han T, Minowada J, Angkor V, Chambertain WA, Dad TL (1974) Cell-mediated immune status of breast cancer patients, evaluation by skin tests, lymphocyte stimulation and counts of rosette forming cells. J Natl Cancer Inst 53: 641
Pui CH, Ip SH, Ilfah S, Behm FG, Grose BH, Dodge RK, Cristy WM, Furman WL, Murphy SB, Rivera GK (1988) Serum interleukin-2 receptor levels in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 71: 1135
Rubin LA, Kurman CC, Fritz ME, Biddison WE, Boutin B, Yarchoan R, Nelson DL (1985) Soluble interleukin-2 receptors are released from activated human lymphoid cells in vitro. J Immunol 135: 3172
Saha K, Kapila H, Madan R, Shinghal RN (1986) Immunologic tools to decipher efficacy of BCG immunotherapy in advanced breast cancer. A one year followup study. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol 4: 139
Tsudo M, Uchiyama T, Uchino H (1984) Expression of Tac antigen on activated normal human B cells. J Exp Med 160: 612
Tung KSR, Umland E, Matzner P, Nelson K, Schanf V, Rubin I, Wagner D, Scollard D, Vithayasai P, Vithayasai V, Worobec S, Smith T, Suriyanond V (1987) Soluble serum interleukin-2 receptor levels in leprosy patients. Clin Exp Immunol 68: 10
Uchiyama T, Nelson DL, Fleisher LA, Waldmann LA (1981) A monoclonal antibody (anti-Tac) reactive with activated and functionally mature human T cells: II. Expression of Tac antigens on activated cytotoxic killer T cells, suppressor cells, and on one of two types of helper T cells. J Immunol 126: 1398
Waldmann TA, Goldman CK, Robb JR, Depper JM, Leonard WJ, Sharrow SO, Bongiovanni KF, Korsmeyer SJ, Greene WC (1984) Expression of interleukin-2 receptors on activated human B cells. J Exp Med 160: 1450
Yasuda N, Lai PK, Ip SH, Kung PC, Himuma Y, Matsuoka M, Hatteri T, Takatsuki K, Purtilo LT (1988) Soluble interleukin-2 receptors in sera of Japanese patients with adult T-cell leukemia mark activity of disease. Blood 71: 1021
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharma, S., Saha, K., Shinghal, R.N. et al. Serum soluble interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor levels in women with breast carcinoma and its correlation with IL-2 receptor expression on blood lymphocytes and lymphocytic infiltration within the tumour. Cancer Immunol Immunother 33, 198–202 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01756142
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01756142