Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in endemic chronic liver diseases

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) is probably released from a variety of cells, including leukocytes and endothelial cells at sites of inflammation or in the circulation, and serum levels may therefore be used to give an indication of immune activation and inflammatory processes. In the present study, an ELISA was used to measure serum ICAM-1 levels in forty patients with endemic chronic liver diseases and these were correlated with histological changes in the liver and with liver functions. Serum ICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with chronic active liver diseases than in normal subjects and correlated positively with the grade of histological activity. Furthermore, serum levels of ICAM-1 were substantially greater in patients with cirrhosis than in those without cirrhosis. There was also a significant positive correlation between serum levels of ICAM-1 and serum alanine aminotransferase activities. It is concluded that, in chronic liver disease, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 serum concentration seems to represent hepatocellular damage. The authors suggest that serum ICAM-1 may prove worthy in the investigation, diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of various inflammatory conditions of the liver.