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Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
M Soresi1, M Cervello, G Lipani
1Cattedra di Medicina Interna, Università di Palermo, Italy.
Insights
Serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) are elevated in severe liver diseases like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. ICAM-1 levels correlate with liver function and tumor size, indicating its role in disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Hepatology
- Oncology
Background:
- Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a role in immunological reactions.
- ICAM-1 expression is induced by inflammatory cytokines in various cells, including hepatocytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the behavior of ICAM-1 in different liver diseases.
- To investigate the association between serum ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) and liver function parameters.
- To determine the localization of ICAM-1 in normal and diseased liver tissues.
Main Methods:
- Assayed serum ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma-associated liver cirrhosis, cirrhosis, and controls.
- Correlated sICAM-1 values with liver function biochemical parameters.
- Performed immunohistochemical localization of ICAM-1 on liver tissue sections.
Main Results:
- sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients compared to controls and cirrhosis patients.
- sICAM-1 values correlated with liver enzymes (ALT, bilirubin, ALP, GGT) and inversely with albumin.
- ICAM-1 staining was negative in normal liver, positive in endothelial cells in chronic liver disease, and positive in hepatocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Conclusions:
- High serum levels of sICAM-1 are associated with severe liver disease, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
- sICAM-1 levels increase with deteriorating hepatic function and larger tumor size.
- ICAM-1 is a potential biomarker for liver disease severity and progression.
Background:
Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is thought to play an important role in cellular immunological reactions. Expression can be induced by inflammatory cytokines in a wide variety of cells, including hepatocytes.
Objective:
To compare the behaviour of ICAM-1 in liver diseases.
Patients And Methods:
We assayed serum ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma-associated liver cirrhosis, and compared them with a group of cirrhotic patients and controls. sICAM-1 values were also correlated with some biochemical parameters of liver function. Moreover, immunohistochemical localization of ICAM-1 was performed on liver tissue sections of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis and a sample of normal liver.
Results:
sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in the hepatocellular carcinoma patients than in controls (P < 0.0001) and the cirrhosis group (P < 0.001). sICAM-1 values directly correlated with alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase serum values (P < 0.05), with an inverse correlation with albuminaemia values (P < 0.05). There was no correlation with alpha-fetoprotein values, but sICAM-1 values were higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with large tumours (> 3 cm) than in those with small tumours (< 3 cm) (P < 0.04). Immunohistochemical localization of ICAM-1 was negative in normal liver tissue; positive staining for endothelial cells was found in chronic liver disease, while in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, positive membrane staining was observed in hepatocytes and, to a lesser extent, at the cytoplasmic level.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that high serum levels of sICAM-1 are associated with severe liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and that they tend to increase with deteriorating hepatic function and tumour size.