Specific pattern of circulating endothelial adhesion molecules in HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma

Circulating endothelial adhesion molecules have been found to be increased in states of immune activation, but little is known about their significance in the assessment of endothelial neoplasms. One of the most common tumors supposed to be derived from endothelial origin is HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).

Plasma concentrations of sCD54 (= intercellular adhesion molecule-1), sCD106 (= vascular cell adhesion molecule-1), and sCD62E (= E-selectin) were quantified by sandwich ELISA in 54 AIDS patients who were either free of active opportunistic disorders (n = 15, AIDS controls), or suffering from acute infections (n = 16), or exhibiting KS (n = 23), and in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy HIV-negative controls.

Both sCD54 and sCD106 plasma levels were consistently increased in all AIDS patients irrespective of concurrent opportunistic disorders (p < 0.005), while sCD62E levels were not altered in AIDS patients without KS (p > 0.05). In KS patients, sCD62E concentrations were decreased both compared to healthy (p = 0.0007) and to AIDS controls (p = 0.04), and stimulated sCD54 levels were less elevated than those of AIDS controls (p = 0.02). Plasma concentrations of all three adhesion molecules did not correlate to KS tumor stage.

There appears to be a specific pattern of circulating endothelial adhesion molecules in AIDS patients with associated KS. Although the present findings do not support a role for their determination as tumor markers, they might be involved in KS tumor pathogenesis.