[The significance of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and its relationship with tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical significance and the possible role of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis in terms of its relationship with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma).


METHODS
Blood samples were taken from 35 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis before therapy, including military pulmonary tuberculosis (type II) in 15 cases and secondary pulmonary tuberculosis (type III) in 20 cases. After 2 month therapy, samples were taken from 20 cases with type III tuberculosis again. Twenty healthy volunteers served as controls. Serum concentrations of sVCAM-1 and IFN-gamma were detected by ELISA method and TNF-alpha by radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
The serum concentrations of sVCAM-1, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were (822 +/- 206) microg/L, (1.5 +/- 1.1) microg/L, and (23 +/- 13) microg/L, respectively; all were significantly higher than those in healthy controls [(428 +/- 73), (0.2 +/- 0.1), and (16 +/- 10) microg/L; P < 0. 01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively]. In the subgroup of patients with military pulmonary tuberculosis, the concentrations of sVCAM-1 and TNF-alpha were (897 +/- 144) microg/L and (2.0 +/- 1.4) microg/L, respectively, which were higher than those in patients with secondary pulmonary tuberculosis [(765 +/- 230) microg/L and (1.2 +/- 0.6) microg/L, respectively, both P < 0.05]. The difference in the concentrations of IFN-gamma between type II and type III was not significant (P = 0.222). The levels of sVCAM-1 and TNF-alpha were lower after therapy [(532 +/- 103) and (0.8 +/- 0.8) microg/L, respectively] than those before therapy (both P < 0.01), but the levels of sVCAM-1 and TNF-alpha after therapy were still higher than those in healthy controls (both P < 0.01). The level of IFN-gamma was higher after therapy than that before therapy (P < 0.05), and the difference between the level after therapy and that of the controls was significant. There were significant correlations between VCAM-1 and TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma respectively in untreated pulmonary tuberculosis (r = 0.669 and 0.560, respectively both P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The measurement of serum sVCAM-1 is useful to evaluate the severity of disease and to monitor activity of the disease during chemotherapy.
Liang
Yan
Y
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563003, China.
Dong
De-qiong
DQ
Yang
Yu-hao
YH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma