Abstract
Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (ssIL-2R) is released from its specific affinity membrane receptor on activated T lymphocytes and is detected as a form of the a-chain of IL-2R in the peripheral blood. We measured the ssIL-2R levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 29 healthy subjects and 39 patients with Graves' disease who were given antithyroid drugs to prepare them for surgical treatment. The preoperative ssIL-2R levels in Graves' patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (681±387 vs 369±149 U/ml); in particular, the preoperative levels in hyperthyroid patients were significantly higher than those in euthyroid patients. On the 5th day after thyroid resection, their ssIL-2R levels (560±296 U/ml) were significantly lower than the preoperative levels. There were no correlations between the preoperative ssIL-2R levels and the immunological parameters such as thyroglobulin antibody, microsomal antibody, and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody. Thus, we conclude that ssIL-2R levels can be decreased by surgical resection of goiter in Graves' patients whose hyperthyroid status does not respond to the administration of antithyroid drugs, and this may be a useful indicator of immunological status after surgical treatment of Graves' disease.
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Murakami, S., Kobayashi, A., Kuma, K. et al. Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels before and after surgical treatment for graves' disease. Surg Today 25, 55–58 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00309386
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00309386