SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTOR AND URINARY NEOPTERIN CONCENTRATIONS IN MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

The serum concentrations of soluble interleukin-2 receptors and urine neopterin were studied in 82 patients with malignant lymphomas (25 pat ients with Hodgkin's disease and 57 patients with non-Hodgkin's lympho ma. Increases in soluble interleukin-2 receptors and in urinary neopte rin were significantly correlated with the clinical phase of the disea se. The average values in both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lym phoma patients suffering from the disease in its active phase were sig nificantly higher than those of patients in complete remission. Neopte rin concentrations (but not soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrati ons) were also elevated in clinical stages III - IV of each disease. U rinary neopterin correlated directly and significantly with the erythr ocyte sedimentation rate and inversely with haemoglobin. Finally, a lo ngitudinal analysis showed a general tendency for the markers to retur n to normal values, in accordance with the favourable outcome of thera py; this was more evident for urinary neopterin than for soluble inter leukin-2 receptors. These findings seem to confirm that soluble interl eukin-2 receptors and especially urinary neopterin can be useful marke rs for monitoring and prognosis of malignant lymphomas.