Evaluation of serum interlekin - 2 Roc in H A M / TSP patients and HTLV - 1 carriers in Mashhad - Iran

ABSTRACT

Seropositive rate of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 [HTLV-1] in Mashhad [a city in the north east of Iran] is 2.3% which is a new endemic area in the world. Less than 2% of these HTLV-1 carriers suffer from HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis [HAM/TSP]. Twenty serum samples from HAM/TSP patients, 44 from HTLV-1 carriers and 20 from healthy individuals were tested for serum IL-2R[alpha] by ELISA method. The mean soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha [sIL-2R[alpha] in HAM/TSP patients, HTLV-1 carriers and healthy subjects was 1420, 1460 and 374 pg/ml respectively. This study revealed that the level of sIL-2R[alpha] in HAM/TSP patients and HTLV -1 carriers was significantly more than healthy subjects [P<0.05], but no significant difference between HTLV-1 carriers and HAM/TSP patients was found