Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-2 in human amniotic fluid of normal and abnormal pregnancies.

In the present study, 63 specimens of human amniotic fluid were tested for the presence of free soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R). Thirty-two of these were also tested for the presence of IL-2. Significant reduction in free soluble IL-2R (IU/ml) or free IL-2R (IU/mg albumin) levels were found in the amniotic fluid obtained from pregnant women with Down's syndrome fetuses as compared with normal pregnancies. In addition normal amniotic fluid was found to contain low levels of IL-2, while no IL-2 was found in amniotic fluid from pregnant women with Down's syndrome fetuses when tested by two different tests.