INCREASED LEVELS OF SOLUBLE VASCULAR CELL-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 (VCAM-1) IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID AND SERA OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS AND HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-1-ASSOCIATED MYELOPATHY

We evaluated the relationship between the soluble form of vascular cel l adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or with human T lymphotropic virus type 1-asso ciated myelopathy (HAM), and measured levels of sVCAM-1 in their cereb rospinal fluid (CSF) and sera. Serum and CSF levels of sVCAM-1 were si gnificantly increased in patients with acute relapsing MS during an ex acerbation (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001), as well as in chronic progressive MS (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001), compared with healthy individuals and pa tients with other neurological diseases, respectively. Patients with a cute relapsing MS during an exacerbation also exhibited significantly higher serum and CSF levels of sVCAM-1 vs. patients with acute relapsi ng MS in remission (P < 0.001). Significantly higher serum levels of s VCAM-1 were observed in patients with HAM vs. either healthy individua ls (P < 0.01) or non-HAM carriers (P < 0.01). These results suggest th at the determination of sVCAM-1 in the sera and CSF may be useful in m onitoring the activity of MS and HAM.