title: Soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) as a Biomarker in the Mouse Model of Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis (EAM).
abstract: Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is strongly upregulated in hearts of mice with coxsackie virus-induced as well as in patients with viral infection-triggered dilated cardiomyopathy. Nevertheless, the role of its soluble form as a biomarker in inflammatory heart diseases remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether plasma levels of soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) directly correlated with disease activity and progression of cardiac dysfunction in the mouse model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). EAM was induced by immunization of BALB/c mice with heart-specific myosin-alpha heavy chain peptide together with complete Freund`s adjuvant. ELISA revealed strong expression of cardiac VCAM-1 (cVCAM-1) throughout the course of EAM in immunized mice compared to control animals. Furthermore, sVCAM-1 was elevated in the plasma of immunized compared to control mice at acute and chronic stages of the disease. sVCAM-1 did not correlate with the degree of acute cardiac inflammation analyzed by histology or cardiac cytokine expression investigated by ELISA. Nevertheless, heart to body weight ratio correlated significantly with sVCAM-1 at chronic stages of EAM. Cardiac systolic dysfunction studied with positron emission tomography indicated a weak relationship with sVCAM-1 at the chronic stage of the disease. Our data provide evidence that plasma levels of sVCAM-1 are elevated throughout all stages of the disease but showed no strong correlation with the severity of EAM.
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Grabmaier
authors: Research of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Kania
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kreiner
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Grabmeier
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Uhl
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: B C
authors: BC
authors: Huber
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Lackermair
authors: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Herbach
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Todica
authors: Cardioimmunology, Center of Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Eriksson
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.|Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: L T
authors: LT
authors: Weckbach
authors: Medical Department I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007114:Immunization; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1