CIRCULATING ADHESION MOLECULES IN SARCOIDOSIS

Sarcoidosis is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by non-case ating granulomata together with a number of systemic abnormalities. We have recently shown these include increased expression of the integri ns CD11/CD18 on peripheral blood leucocytes. Here we have measured ser um levels of the adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in 23 patients and 14 normal controls using antigen capture sandwich ELI SAs. Median circulating E-selectin levels in the patients were nearly three times those of the controls (P<0.0001, Mann-Whitney U-test), whi lst ICAM-1 but not VCAM-1 levels were only slightly elevated. These re sults show that endothelial cell activation and shedding of E-selectin into the circulation are additional features of the pathology of sarc oidosis.