SERUM NEOPTERIN, BETA(2)-MICROGLOBULIN, SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTORS, AND IMMUNOGLOBULIN LEVELS IN HEALTHY ADOLESCENTS

Serum biomarkers, such as neopterin, beta(2)-microglobulin (B2M), and soluble interleukin-a receptors (sIL-2R), are elevated in viral infect ions, including HIV-1 infection, and in inflammatory conditions, autoi mmune disease, and malignancies. For many of these conditions, serum l evels correlate with disease activity. Application of these biomarkers in adolescents is limited by a lack of information on the range and d eterminants of variability (age, sex, race) for serum levels of these important molecules in this age group. To address this question, we an alyzed serum samples from a well-characterized heterogeneous populatio n of 111 healthy adolescents. White children had significantly higher serum levels of sIL-2R and IgM and lower levels of IgG: (P less than o r equal to 0.001) than black children. Boys had higher sIL-2R and B2M levels (P < 0.005) and lower IgM levels (P < 0.05) than girls. No sign ificant age effect on B2M or neopterin level was observed over the age range of 12-19 years included in this analysis. However, stratificati on by race showed that serum sIL-2R level was significantly associated with age among whites, but not among blacks. Values of these biomarke rs in this population are compared with age-stratified values in the p reviously analyzed 20- to 69-year-old population from whose households the adolescent subjects were recruited. (C) 1998 Academic Press.