THE DETECTION OF SERUM INTERLEUKIN-2 IS GENERALLY NOT HELPFUL IN PEDIATRIC PRACTICE

Serum levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2) were measured in 66 patients with various immunologic disorders (bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, r heumatoid arthritis, Kawasaki disease, other vasculitis, diabetes mell itus at onset, untreated coeliac disease, autoimmune tiroiditis, infla mmatory bowel disease, glomerulonephritis) and in 12 healthy controls. Statistical analysis did not show significant difference between each group of patients and controls, and serum IL-2 did not appear related with severity or activity of the disease. We conclude that the detect ion of serum IL-2 is not helpful in current pediatric practice and sug gest that other laboratory methods should be utilized to establish the role of IL-2 in childhood immunologic disorders.