SOLUBLE MARKERS OF LEUKOCYTE ADHESION IN PATIENTS WITH VENOUS DISEASE

Objective: To measure soluble CD54 (ICAM-1) and CD62E (E-selectin) as markers of neutrophil adhesion in four groups of patients with varying severity of venous disease and compare the values obtained with those in age-and sex-matched control subjects. Design: Prospective study of patients with varicose veins compared with a group of control subject s with no history or clinical findings of varicose veins. Setting: The Middlesex Hospital Vascular Laboratory, London. Patients: Patients re ferred to the Middlesex Hospital Vascular Laboratory for investigation of venous disease. Neither patients nor controls had arterial disease , any other systemic illness, or were on any medication known to alter white cell activity. Interventions: Ten millimetres of blood taken fr om an arm vein into EDTA for a neutrophil count and soluble CD54 and C D62E, measured using an ELISA. Results: Similar levels of soluble CD54 and CD62E were found in all four groups of patients compared with the ir controls (p = 0.71 for soluble CD54 for all patients compared with all controls, and p = 0.65 for soluble CD62E, Mann-Whitney U-test). Th ere was no difference in the neutrophil count between the controls and patients in any group (p = 0.74 for all subjects, Mann-Whitney U-test ). Conclusion: This study shows no evidence of increased soluble CD54 or CD2E or CD62E in patients with venous disease, despite previous wor k showing increased CD54 and neutrophil degranulation in patients with venous disease. The reason for this is currently unknown.