Diagnostic accuracy of interleukin-2 receptor in sarcoidosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2 R), a valuable diagnostic biomarker for sarcoidosis, has been reported with variable results. Based on the literatures currently accessible, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of serum sIL-2 R for sarcoidosis were performed.

Methods

Relevant studies investigating sIL-2 R for sarcoidosis diagnosis in several databases were searched and data on sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were pooled by STATA 16.0 software. Overall test performance was assessed using summary receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC). Potential publication bias was assessed by Deeks test.

Results

We included eleven studies involving 1,424 subjects, with 1,099 cases of sarcoidosis and 325 of non-sarcoidosis. The pooled parameters of sIL-2 R in diagnosing sarcoidosis were summarized as follows: sensitivity, 0.85 (95% CI: 0.72–0.93); specificity, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.72–0.96); PLR, 7.3 (95% CI: 2.7–20.1); NLR, 0.17 (95% CI:0.08–0.36); DOR, 44 (95% CI: 8–231); and the AUC, 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90–0.95). No publication bias was identified (P = 0.64).

Conclusions

Evidence suggests sIL-2 R performs well in diagnosing sarcoidosis. Nevertheless, results of sIL-2 R assay should be interpreted with other diagnostic examinations.

KEYWORDS:

• Soluble interleukin-2 receptor
• sarcoidosis
• diagnosis
• accuracy
• meta-analysis

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Author contributions

D Qin and YC Shen conceived and designed the study. D Qin and LL Fan collected the data, performed the literature search and analyzed data. D Qin and YX Zhong wrote the manuscript. YC Shen and DY Cheng revise key parts of the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17476348.2023.2225772.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the 1•3•5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (2019HXFH042) and Sichuan Key Research and Development Program (2020YFS0147). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.