Abstract Objective To investigate the expression of interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL-2Rα) in human retinal pigment epithelial cell (RPE) and the effect of IL-2 on RPE proliferation. Methods Passage 2 -4 human fetal RPE cells were used in the experiment. RT-PCR was performed with the specific primer for IL-2Rα. IL-2 binding was assayed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Immunofluorescent staining was applied to identify the receptor expression using anti-CD25. The effect of recombinant IL-2 on RPE cell proliferation was determined by3H uptake. Results RPE cells expressed IL-2Rα mRNA. The expression of IL-2 receptor α was also revealed by immunofluorescent staining and IL-2 binding. IL-2 induced cell proliferation at the higher concentrations of IL-2 ( P＜0.05 ). Conclusion Cultured human RPE cells express IL-2α receptor. Recombinant IL-2 enhances RPE cell proliferation.