Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and immunohistochemical staining of IL-2R/Tac antigen in colorectal cancer

Abstract

Background. In the present study, we investigated the significance of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) as a tumor marker, and examined the existence and localization of cells positive for IL-2R/Tac antigen in colorectal cancer tissues and their regional lymph nodes. Methods. The study included 155 patients with colorectal cancer. Levels of serum soluble IL-2R were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the tissues obtained from 18 patients, immunohistochemical staining was performed, with the use of the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique, in which mouse anti-human IL-2R antibody was used. Results. The preoperative levels of serum soluble IL-2R in patients with colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those of normal controls (P ϭ 0.0065). The levels of serum soluble IL-2R in patients with metastatic lymph nodes were also significantly higher than the levels in those without metastatic lymph nodes (P ϭ 0.0258). Concerning tumor markers, there were significant differences in serum soluble IL-2R levels between patients who were positive and those who were negative for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and between these who were positive and those who were negative for immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP). In the immunohistochemical staining of IL-2R, 16 of the 18 patients (88.8%) showed IL-2R-positive cells in the colorectal cancer tissues. In regard to the metastatic lymph nodes, all of 5 patients (100%) showed IL-2R-positive cells. On the other hand, IL-2R-positive cells were not recognized in normal colorectal tissues and non-metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusion. These results suggest that activated T lymphocytes infiltrating into cancer tissues to play an antitumor role may release a large amount of the α-chain of IL-2R, resulting in the high levels of serum soluble IL-2R in patients with colorectal cancer.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor in cancer

“…The IL-2R positive infiltrating lymphocytes are detected in surrounding glioma tissues by the immunohistochemical staining (34). This finding is similar to gastric cancer (14), colorectal cancer (17), and breast cancer (25).…”

“…Levels of serum sIL-2R of Dukes stage C in colorectal cancer have increased , compared with those of normal control and Dukes stage A (16). The higher levels of serum sIL-2R in patients with lymph node metastasis are recognized, compared with those without lymph node metastasis (17). And, markedly elevated levels of serum sIL-2R are found in patients with liver metastasis (18).…”

“…It seems to contradictory that there is a relationship between sIL-2R, which reflect the activated immunity, and IAP, which suppresses it. IAP may suppress an overreaction of immunity in the local area with cancer cell and inhibit the hyperactive immune response from spreading that has harmful influences on the host (17).…”

Immunologic Response to Tumor Ablation with Irreversible Electroporation

“…In most malignant diseases, elevated levels of serum sIL-2R are observed [19], [20]. Serum sIL-2R is a useful parameter for evaluating disease stage and monitoring the disease progression during post-treatment follow-up [21], [22]. In this study, we also found that the serum sIL-2R (soluble interleukin-2 receptor) level in the peripheral blood exhibited the same change as the T lymphocytes.…”

Characterization of chicken interleukin 2 receptor α chain, a homolog to mammalian CD25

“…CD25 expression has been investigated widely in vitro and in vivo [5,12,13]. Currently, two main populations of CD4 + CD25 + cells have been hypothesized naturally occurring regulatory T cells (T reg ) that mature in the thymus and induced T reg cells that acquire their activity during activation in vitro or in vivo [14–16].…”