title: Cell adhesion molecules - can they be used to predict coronary artery disease in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia?
abstract: Adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial cells via cell adhesion molecules (CAMS) is thought to be pivotal in the initiation of atherosclerosis. As patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) are known to develop severe, premature coronary artery disease (CAD), we investigated the usefulness of soluble forms of CAMS namely vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM) and E-selectin as predictive markers of the presence and severity of atherosclerosis in this patient group. Twenty heterozygous FH patients without CAD; 24 heterozygous FH patients with CAD; 17 homozygous FH patients without documented CAD; nine homozygous FH patients with overt CAD; and 50 healthy controls were studied. Carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) was also measured in the homozygous patients. Levels of the adhesion molecules VCAM, ICAM and E-selectin were not significantly elevated in homozygous FH patients and heterozygous FH patients, both with and without CAD, compared to the normal control subjects. In addition the range of results was so wide and the overlap of values with normal controls so great, that the use of an individual level of either VCAM, ICAM or E-selectin was not predictive of either the presence or degree of atherosclerosis in the FH subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 158jan@chiron.wits.ac.za
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Paiker
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Raal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Arb
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chetty
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Naran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1