Interleukin-2 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in children with active pulmonary tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial adenitis.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) level was measured in sera and in supernatants of Purified Protein Derivatives of Tuberculin (PPD) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures from children with active primary pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), or adenitis caused by mycobacteria of the group Mycobacterium avium, intracellulare, scrofulaceum (MAIS). The control groups included BCG vaccinated children (BCG) and children with negative skin test to PPD (NST). High mean IL-2 level was exclusively found in sera of mild TB patients (MTB), and not in sera of MAIS infected or BCG vaccinated children. The IL-2 level increased even more in MTB during treatment. In severe TB (STB) the IL-2 level was not elevated before treatment, but increased also during treatment. IL-2 production in supernatants of PPD stimulated PBMC cultures was increased in MTB as well as in MAIS and BCG subjects. Further, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels were measured in the different groups of children. With the exception of the STB group, there was otherwise no significant increase of the receptor in the sera levels between groups. During treatment the sIL-2R levels decreased in MTB as well as in STB. A slight but non significant augmentation was found in the supernatants of PBMC cultures stimulated with PPD. This work suggests, along with other referable studies, that IL-2 and sIL-2R levels are inversely modulated by the disease. Indeed, the IL-2 seems to increase in MTB comparatively to NST children, and in treated TB comparatively to non treated TB children. On the other hand, the sIL-2R level was found to decrease in TB under treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)