Analysis of soluble interleukin-2 receptor as CSF biomarker for neurosarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically analyze soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in CSF as a diagnostic and disease activity biomarker in patients with sarcoidosis involving the CNS (neurosarcoidosis).

METHODS

sIL-2R was determined by chemiluminescent immunoassays in CSF/serum samples from patients with neurosarcoidosis (n = 23), MS (n = 19), neurotuberculosis (n = 8), viral (n = 18) and bacterial (n = 9) meningitis, cerebral lymphoma (n = 15), Guillain-Barré syndrome (n = 8), and 115 patients with noninflammatory neurologic diseases (NINDs) as controls. The sIL-2R index was calculated by dividing the CSF/serum sIL-2R quotient (Q) through the CSF/serum albumin quotient (Q). sIL-2R quotient diagrams were established by plotting Q against Q. sIL-2R levels were correlated with clinical, MRI, and CSF disease activity markers of neurosarcoidosis.

RESULTS

Patients with neurosarcoidosis had higher CSF sIL-2R, Q, and sIL-2R index values than patients with NINDs ( < 0.0001 for all pairwise group comparisons). sIL-2R quotient diagrams demonstrated an intrathecal sIL-2R synthesis in >50% of neurosarcoidosis samples. Similar findings were observed in viral/bacterial meningitis, CNS lymphoma, and, most pronounced, in neurotuberculosis, but not in patients with MS. CSF sIL-2R parameters were associated with clinical disease activity, leptomeningeal gadolinium enhancement, and the CSF white cell count in patients with neurosarcoidosis.

CONCLUSIONS

CSF sIL-2R parameters are elevated in patients with neurosarcoidosis, but this finding is not specific for neurosarcoidosis. Nevertheless, CSF sIL-2R parameters may help distinguishing neurosarcoidosis from MS and are associated with clinical, radiologic, and CSF disease activity markers of neurosarcoidosis.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE

This study provides Class II evidence that CSF sIL-2R parameters distinguish neurosarcoidosis from NINDs and MS.