title: [Study on the changes of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 level in sera of rats infected with Pneumocystis carinii].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine sICAM-1 in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and the effect of TMP-SMZ therapy on its level and on pathological and immunological changes in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group (N group), PCP model group (PCP group) and TMP-SMZ therapy group (SMZ group). 1 mg of dexamethasone was injected intramuscularly twice a week for rats in PCP and SMZ groups to induce PCP. Normal saline was injected for N group in the same way. When the infection was confirmed, TMP-SMZ was given to rats in SMZ group by 25 mg/(kg.d) for 5 days for 3 courses with an interval of 2 weeks. sICAM-1 in serum was detected by ELISA, and the pathological changes in lungs and liver and the Pc in alveoli of lungs were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of sICAM-1 in PCP and SMZ groups at the 3rd week [(1.847+/-0.50) ng/ml, (1.787+/-0.59) ng/ml] was lower notably than that at 0 week [(2.407+/-0.81) ng/ml, [(2.478+/-0.59) ng/ml respectively] (P<0.05), and then increased gradually. It was significantly higher in PCP group at 9th week [(3.233+/-0.83) ng/ml] and at 12th week [(3.984+/-0.87) ng/ml] than that of 0 week (P<0.05). Its level in SMZ group at 12th week [(3.621+/-l.62) ng/ml] was also higher than that in 0 week [(2.478+/-0.59) ng/ml] (P<0.05). sICAM-1 level in both PCP and SMZ groups at 9th week and 12th week was higher than that of N group (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference between SMZ and PCP groups at 9th week and 12th week (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sICAM-1 level in rats was low but significantly increases after the induction of PCP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, China.
authors.forename: Ke-Qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Gui-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jin-Shun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012995:Solubility; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination