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Updated: May 31, 2026
Visualizing Impairment of the Endothelial and Glial Barriers of the Neurovascular Unit during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis In Vivo
Published on: March 26, 2019
Markedly elevated soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 levels, and
Akiyuki Uzawa1, Masahiro Mori, Saeko Masuda
1Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. a-uzimp1204@graduate.chiba-u.jp
Objective:
To evaluate the degree of blood-brain barrier disruption in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and to clarify whether the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) in patients with NMO can be useful biomarkers for blood-brain barrier breakdown.
Design:
Descriptive historical cohort.
Setting:
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University.
Patients:
The levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 in 25 patients with NMO, 21 patients with multiple sclerosis, and 20 patients with other noninflammatory neurologic disorders in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured using a multiplexed fluorescent magnetic bead-based immunoassay.
Main Outcome Measures:
Levels of the soluble adhesion molecules in serum and CSF and their associations with blood-brain barrier disruption.
Results:
The CSF levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 increased in patients with NMO compared with patients with multiple sclerosis and other noninflammatory neurologic disorders (P < .001), and serum levels of sICAM-1 increased in patients with NMO compared with healthy control individuals (P = .003). The CSF sICAM-1 levels from patients with NMO were correlated with the albumin quotient (P = .02) and the presence of lesions detected via gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
Conclusions:
Severe blood-brain barrier breakdown occurs in patients with NMO. Measuring adhesion molecules is useful to evaluate this barrier disruption.
