Soluble Tac peptide is present in the urine of normal individuals and at elevated levels in patients with adult T cell leukaemia (ATL)
Marcon, L.; Fritz, M.E.; Kurman, C.C.; Jensen, J.C.; Nelson, D.L.
Clinical and Experimental Immunology 73(1): 29-33
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9104 PMID: 2844456 Document Number: 312021
The T lymphocyte-derived lymphokine interleukin 2 and the cell-associated receptor for this molecule play major roles in the activation and regulation of the human immune response. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has been developed to measured quantitatively a soluble from of one component of the human interleukin 2 receptor, namely the Tac peptide. In the present studies, soluble Tac peptide was measured in the urine of normal individuals (mean = 92 U/ml), a level not significantly different (0.01 < P < 0.05) from the corresponding serum concentrations (mean = 175). The urinary Tac peptide had a molecular weight of 40-45 dD by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis and specifically bound interleukin 2. Elevated levels of urinary Tac peptide were found in four patients with adult T cell leukaemia who also had elevated serum levels of Tac peptide. Thus, urine may represent a valuable source of lymphokine-binding proteins that may serve as important markers of immunological activation.