CORRELATION OF BLOOD-LEVELS OF SOLUBLE VASCULAR CELL-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 WITH DISEASE-ACTIVITY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND VASCULITIS

Levels of soluble adhesion molecules have been shown to reflect their cell surface expression in vitro, and thus may provide a useful surrog ate marker of surface expression at inflammatory sites. In patients wi th SLE and vasculitis, serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule -1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-Selectin were determined by ELISA during different stages of disease activity. Levels of soluble(s) VCAM-1 correlated with disease activity in patie nts with SLE, being significantly higher during active compared with i nactive disease (P = 0.003), and normalizing with clinical remission. By contrast, in patients with vasculitis, although sVCAM-1 levels were elevated in active disease, they fell but did not normalize in inacti ve disease, suggesting that treatment may be suppressing the clinical manifestations rather than targeting the underlying pathogenic mechani sm. Soluble ICAM-1 and E-Selectin levels did not reflect disease activ ity in either SLE or vasculitis.