SERUM LEVELS OF INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 (ICAM-1) IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL-CANCER - INHIBITORY EFFECT ON CYTOTOXICITY

A positive correlation between the level of ICAM-1 in serum and the st age of neoplastic processes has been demonstrated. We studied ICAM-1 s erum concentration in 27 colorectal cancer patients and investigated t he effect of this molecule on cellular aggregation and toxicity. ICAM- 1 serum concentration in the group of patients was significantly highe r (P < 0.01) than in normal controls and was related to tumour stage. Patient sera inhibited both the formation of cellular aggregates and t he percentage of specific lysis, the effect being lost when the serum was depleted of ICAM-1. These results suggest that the release of solu ble ICAM-1 may represent a mechanism of tumour escape. (C) 1998 Publis hed by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.