Serum levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) are elevated in advanced stages of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

The serum levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) wer e measured in 116 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) tested previo usly for soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). In contrast t o Hodgkin's disease and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, the sVCAM-1 levels i n NHL patients were not significantly different from the levels of healthy controls (n=31). However, sVCAM-1 was elevated in advanced stage disease, i .e. stages III + IV. Elevated serum levels of sVCAM-1 were associated with significantly poorer disease-free (p = 0.024) and overall (p = 0.02) surviv al. sVCAM-1 correlated poorly with other known prognostic variables (LDH, s TK and beta(2)m) and with sICAM-1. None of the tested markers added prognos tic information for disease-free survival independently of Ann Arbor stage and B-symptoms. The expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in tumour biopsies from 15 patients representing 7 different histologies were examined and compare d with the serum levels of the soluble adhesion molecules. No correlation w as found between the adhesion molecule expression by vascular endothelium a nd the corresponding serum levels.