High serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors in sarcoidosis

We provide evidence that high levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) are present in the serum of patients with sarcoidosis. Because sIL-2R is capable of binding to its ligand (IL-2), the increased serum levels of this molecule could induce a starvation of IL-2. This mechanism could help to explain a number of immunological abnormalities extensively reported in these patients and generally attributed to not yet identified serum inhibitory factors.