title: Circulating adhesion molecules in sera of asthmatic children.
abstract: Infiltration of cells into the lung in asthma is regulated by several expressions of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) on cells present in the airways, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. We sought to evaluate the role of serum concentrations of the soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and E-selectin (sE-selectin) in the control of disease activity in acute asthma. Circulating levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin in sera from 15 normal control subjects and from 20 allergic asthmatic children with acute exacerbations who had returned to stable condition were determined by using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The mean concentration of serum sICAM-1 levels was significantly higher during an acute exacerbation of asthmatic children than in those with stable asthma (19.41 +/- 10.65 ng/mL vs. 13.46 +/- 5.44 ng/mL; P < 0.001) or in control subjects (9.83 +/- 2.02 ng/mL; P < 0.001). For sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin, the mean serum concentration of sVCAM-1 was slightly higher in children during an acute exacerbation asthma than when stable. However, the differences did not reach statistical significance. The mean serum concentrations of sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin in acute asthma or stable asthma were significantly higher than in control subjects. This study provides further evidence that serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin are increased in acute asthma. These findings further confirm that leukocyte endothelial adhesion plays a role in inflammatory airway disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Sec. 2 Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. rbtang@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Ren-Bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Shu-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Jue
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Soong
authors.forename: Ruey-Lung
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1