Spontaneous IL-2 production in vitro in two patients with pure red cell aplasia.

We investigated spontaneous cytokine production in two patients with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from two patients produced IL-2. Cyclosporin A (CyA) suppressed in vitro IL-2 production in one patient, but not in the other. Spontaneous IL-2 production disappeared in one patient 10 months after the start of CyA therapy. The patient for whom CyA therapy was stopped after the disappearance of spontaneous IL-2 production has remained in continuous remission for 1 year. The present case suggests that spontaneous IL-2 production in PBMNC might be an indicator of disease activity.