Serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM-1) and soluble endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1(s-ELAM-1) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Immunological disturbances have been implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Adhesion molecules are markers of activated endothelial cells up-regulated by action of cytokines. To investigate the activation or inactivation of the vascular cells in ALS, serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM-1) and soluble E-selectin (s-ELAM-1) were evaluated (ELISA) in 16 patients with ALS, 30 patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases (NINDS) and 15 healthy control subjects. Patients with ALS had no higher s-ICAM-1 levels compared with the NINDS patients and the control subjects (p<0.31 and p<0.21, respectively). s-ELAM levels were not statistically significant compared with the NINDS patients and healthy subjects (p<0.21 and p<0.24, respectively). We conclude that the low values of s-ICAM-1 and s-ELAM-1 in the serum of ALS patients do not exclude the presence of immunological abnormality in this disorder. Soluble E-selectin is a glycoprotein which is considered an exclusive marker of endothelial activation. Its low level in our study may suggest a neural rather than an endothelial s-ICAM origin in patients with ALS.
Rentzos
M
M
Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital-Athens Medical School, Greece. mrentzos@med.uoa.gr
Michalopoulou
M
M
Nikolaou
C
C
Rombos
A
A
Dimitrakopoulos
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D019040:E-Selectin; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1