SOLUBLE ADHESION MOLECULES IN MIDDLE-EAR EFFUSIONS FROM PATIENTS WITHCHRONIC OTITIS-MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

Soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascul ar cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) have been identified in the perip heral blood and other body fluids. These soluble adhesion molecules ha ve been reported to reflect the upregulation of cell surface ICAM-1 an d VCAM-1 expression in inflammatory diseases. The levels of soluble IC AM-1 and soluble VCAM-1 in 37 middle ear effusions from 37 patients wi th chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) were quantitatively determ ined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The levels of soluble IC AM-1 in mucoid effusions were significantly higher than those in serou s effusions;; but the levels of soluble VCAM-1 did not differ signific antly between the two types of effusion. The levels of soluble VCAM-1 in effusions from atopic patients were significantly higher than those from non-atopic patients, whereas the levels of soluble ICAM-1 in sam ples from atopic patients were significantly lower than those from non -atopic patients. Therefore, our data suggest that an increase in solu ble VCAM-1 plays a more important role in the pathogenesis of OME in a topic patients than in non-atopic patients. Tn addition, soluble ICAM- 1 is likely to play a more important role in the pathogenesis of OME i n nonatopic patients than soluble VCAM-1.