Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is thought to play an important role in cellular immunological reactions. Expression can be induced by inflammatory cytokines in a wide variety of cells, including hepatocytes.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the behaviour of ICAM-1 in liver diseases.


METHODS
We assayed serum ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma-associated liver cirrhosis, and compared them with a group of cirrhotic patients and controls. sICAM-1 values were also correlated with some biochemical parameters of liver function. Moreover, immunohistochemical localization of ICAM-1 was performed on liver tissue sections of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis and a sample of normal liver.


RESULTS
sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in the hepatocellular carcinoma patients than in controls (P < 0.0001) and the cirrhosis group (P < 0.001). sICAM-1 values directly correlated with alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase serum values (P < 0.05), with an inverse correlation with albuminaemia values (P < 0.05). There was no correlation with alpha-fetoprotein values, but sICAM-1 values were higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with large tumours (> 3 cm) than in those with small tumours (< 3 cm) (P < 0.04). Immunohistochemical localization of ICAM-1 was negative in normal liver tissue; positive staining for endothelial cells was found in chronic liver disease, while in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, positive membrane staining was observed in hepatocytes and, to a lesser extent, at the cytoplasmic level.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that high serum levels of sICAM-1 are associated with severe liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and that they tend to increase with deteriorating hepatic function and tumour size.
Soresi
M
M
Cattedra di Medicina Interna, Università di Palermo, Italy.
Cervello
M
M
Lipani
G
G
Carroccio
A
A
Cartabellotta
A
A
Marasà
L
L
Casto
C
C
Virruso
L
L
Montalto
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D004727:Endothelium / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin