Serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and interleukin-2 receptor in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis and allergic conjunctivitis

Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is characterized by severe oc ular allergic inflammation that may have a poor visual prognosis. Due to th e high frequency of the presence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in VKC, most sys temic parameters are dependent on the clinical severity of AD. Methods: Serum levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sIL-2R were measured by enzy me-linked immunoassay using samples from 30 VKC patients, 30 allergic conju nctivitis (AC) patients, and 20 normal subjects, to determine whether the c oncentrations of these molecules are elevated. Results: Circulating slCAM-1 and sIL-2R levels were increased in patients w ith VKC with AD compared with those in VKC without AD, AC, and normal contr ols. Serum levels of sVCAM-1 in VKC patients with and without AD were signi ficantly higher than those in controls. No significant difference was found in the levels of sVCAM-1 between patients with VKC with and without AD. In VKC patients with AD, the sIL-2R level correlated significantly with sever ity of AD, whereas no such correlation was found for slCAM-1 and sVCAM-1. Conclusions: These results suggest that serum sVCAM-1 can be used as a mark er to differentiate VKC from nonproliferative ocular allergic diseases, and specific immunologic features of VKC may underlie the upregulation of seru m sVCAM-1.