title: Serum soluble vascular-cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in patients with acute and chronic liver diseases.
abstract: Our aim was to ascertain the degree of variation of serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) concentrations according to the nature and the severity of an underlying liver disease. One-hundred forty sera collected from 123 patients (83 male, 40 female) with acute hepatitis (n = 14), mild chronic liver disease (n = 52) or cirrhosis (n = 57) of different etiologies as well as from 17 healthy blood donors (8 male, 9 female) were studied. Soluble VCAM-1 concentration was measured immunoenzymatically. One-way analysis of variance revealed a significant variability of the mean values of soluble VCAM-1 among groups (F = 80.02, p < 0.0001). All groups of patients had higher soluble VCAM-1 than controls; moreover, patients with acute hepatitis and patients with cirrhosis had higher soluble VCAM-1 levels than patients with mild chronic liver disease (Bonferroni's test, p < 0.01). These results did not change after stratification of patients according to the etiology (viral or toxic) of liver disease (two-way analysis of variance: grouping factor diagnosis, F = 60.39, p < 0.0001; grouping factor etiology, F = 1.73, p NS). Cholinesterase, total bilirubin, circulating thrombocytes and blood area nitrogen were the independent predictors of the concentration of soluble VCAM-1. In conclusion, patients with liver disease have high serum soluble VCAM-1, which seems to reflect more the severity of impairment of liver function rather than the etiologic nature of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pathology and Medicine, University of Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirisi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falleti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soardo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toniutto
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vitulli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bartoli
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1