Relevance of ICAM-1 to alcoholic liver cirrhosis

An elevated serum concentration of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) was observed in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis in strong correlation with the current activity of the liver disease and the history of alcohol consumption. Circulating ICAM-1 levels were significantly elevated in the sera of all of 25 patients (1,400 +/- 850 ng/ml) compared with normal healthy subjects. The highest levels of sICAM-1 (2,650 +/- 560 ng/ml) were measured in those patients who suffered from superimposed acute alcoholic hepatitis (SAH). Regularly drinking cirrhotic patients without SAH also exhibited significantly higher results than those who had stopped drinking. The serum ICAM-1 concentration showed a negative correlation with the duration of abstinence. No elevated sICAM-1 was found in ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients, which tends to discount a significant intraperitoneal production of this molecule. flow cytometric analysis revealed an increased expression of ICAM-1 molecules on peripheral blood monocytes of cirrhotic patients. Proliferating bile ducts and parenchymal cells of cirrhotic livers displayed a positive ICAM-1 immunohistochemical reaction in 3 autopsy cases. It is concluded that the elevated levels of sICAM-1 in the serum of patients with alcoholic liver diseases may provide useful diagnostic or prognostic information. However, determination of the exact source of circulating ICAM-1 in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis still demands further investigations.