Adhesion molecules: a way to understand lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a connective disease in which all vitally important organs may be affected. The etiology of the disease is largely unknown and almost all immunological mechanisms have been proposed as the pathophysiological background of the disease. Among them, endothelial damage and dysfunction seem to play a pivotal role. Endothelial damage can be accurately measured using adhesion molecules such asintercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) and selectins. In this review we discuss the role of well-known cellular adhesion molecules as pathogenic factors in disease development as well as disease activity biomarkers.