title: Serum level of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its association with severity of liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  VCAM-1 (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) plays a role in liver angiogenesis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has important angiogenic activity, so expression of VCAM-1 may be pathogenic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between serum VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) levels and features of tumour and liver disease in patients with and without HCC, and to study the influence of HCC treatment on sVCAM-1 levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrations in peripheral (sVCAM-1-P) and hepatic (sVCAM-1-H) veins were analysed using ELISA in 134 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease between May 2004 and February 2006, who underwent a splanchnic haemodynamic study. Of these patients, 58 had HCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sVCAM-1-P and sVCAM-1-H were well correlated in both groups. No association was found between sVCAM-1-H and tumour features. No differences were observed in sVCAM-1-H between HCC and non-HCC cirrhotic patients. There was a significant linear association between Child-Pugh stage and sVCAM-1-H in HCC-patients (Child-Pugh A [2,485 ± 1,294 ng/mL] vs. Child-Pugh B [3,408 ± 1,338 ng/mL] vs. Child-Pugh C [4,096 ± 862 ng/mL]; p = 0.007). Seven non-cirrhotic HCC patients had a significantly lower sVCAM-1-H than cirrhotic HCC patients. Treatment of HCC leads to an increase in sVCAM-1-H levels although this was not associated with the necrosis response to treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  sVCAM-1 levels are more closely associated with the severity of underlying liver disease than with the presence of HCC. sVCAM-1 levels are not associated with tumour features or invasiveness; therefore, sVCAM-1 does not seem to play an important role in the angiogenic processes of HCC.
authors: Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital Universitario del Sureste, Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain. antoniodisan@yahoo.es
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Diaz-Sanchez
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Matilla
authors: Oscar
authors: O
authors: Nuñez
authors: Diego
authors: D
authors: Rincon
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Lorente
authors: Oreste
authors: O
authors: Lo Iacono
authors: Beatriz
authors: B
authors: Merino
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Hernando
authors: Rocio
authors: R
authors: Campos
authors: Gerardo
authors: G
authors: Clemente
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Bañares
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D014690:Venous Pressure
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1