Serial soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels in rheumatoid arthritis: differences in response to glucocorticoid treatment and chrysotherapy.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the changes in soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels following treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Serial measurements of sIL-2R levels were made over 24 weeks in 40 patients with RA, treated with intramuscular (im) gold plus 3 im injections of either 120 mg methylprednisolone acetate or placebo.

RESULTS

sIL-2R levels were reduced in the glucocorticoid treated group in contrast to the gold only group, where levels initially increased. At 24 weeks, mean sIL-2R levels did not significantly differ from pretreatment levels in either group, despite improvements in clinical measures.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, sIL-2R levels do not correlate with short term clinical measures of disease activity. Their significance for longer term prognostic use remains to be determined.