Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 predicts non-specific elevation of alpha 1-fetoprotein.
Molecules governing cellular interactions have been suggested to be involved in the spurious elevation of alpha 1-fetoprotein (AFP) in non-neoplastic liver disease. To explore this controversial issue, we measured AFP, circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (cICAM-1), and common liver function tests in 111 patients (71 male, 40 female). Eighty-four patients had non-neoplastic chronic liver disease and 27 had hepatocellular carcinoma. The concentration of cICAM-1 was determined immunoenzymatically. In patients with non-neoplastic chronic liver disease, univariate analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between AFP and cholinesterase (R = -0.397, P < 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (R = 0.421, P < 0.001), bilirubin (R = 0.231, P < 0.05) and cICAM-1 (R = 0.430, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis among these variables and AFP indicated cICAM-1 to be the strongest independent predictor of AFP. We conclude that cICAM-1 compares favourably with liver function tests in predicting non-specific AFP variations in non-neoplastic chronic liver disease, suggesting a link between targeting of the inflammatory damage to the hepatocyte and development of neoplasia.
Falleti
E
E
Cattedra di Patologia Clinica, Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy.
Fabris
C
C
Pirisi
M
M
Soardo
G
G
Vitulli
D
D
Toniutto
P
P
Bartoli
E
E
Bortolotti
N
N
Gonano
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1