サイトカイン，可溶性受容体の測定と診断への意義

Diagnostic value of measurement of cytokines or soluble cytokine receptors

　全身性エリテマトーデス患者に精神症状が出現した場合には，原疾患の中枢神経病変に起因するのか，ほかの原因による症状なのかを迅速に判断して対処する必要がある．前者では髄液中のIL-6が高値を示すことが多く，鑑別診断の参考になる．血球貪食症候群は，高サイトカイン血症により多臓器不全に至る重篤な病態であるが，血中可溶性IL-2受容体が著しく高値を示し，診断や予後の予測に有用である．

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)require rapid treatment discriminating between the conditions resulted from SLE itself and other causes which include steroid psychosis. IL-6 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid are elevated in most of the former cases, which may be a useful marker for diagnosis. Hemophagocytic syndromes represent a severe inflammatory condition with hypercytokinemia leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiorgan failure. Remarkably elevated serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor may be useful for making diagnosis and predicting the prognosis.