SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTORS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Soluble interleukin‐2 receptor (IL‐2R) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in infectious, inflammatory, degenerative, and neoplastic disorders to evaluate their usefulness as a marker for the presence of activated T cells, thus indicating an inflammatory process. CSF from control subjects and patients with stationary, progressive, and treated multiple sclerosis (MS); aseptic meningitis; lymphoid and nonlymphoid central nervous system (CNS) tumors; Alzheimer's disease, as well as serum from MS patients and control subjects were studied for levels of soluble IL‐2R. A significant increase in CSF IL‐2R levels was observed in patients with MS, meningitis, and lymphoid CNS tumors; the MS group showed the highest values. CSF from individuals with Alzheimer's disease and from patients with nonlymphoid tumors did not show significantly elevated values. Serum IL‐2R levels were significantly higher in MS patients than in control subjects, but there was no significant correlation between individual serum and CSF IL‐2R levels. This study suggests the presence of activated T‐lymphocytes in the CNS of patients with MS. Copyright © 1990 American Neurological Association