THE INFLUENCE OF ADVANCED GLYCATION ENDPRODUCTS (AGE) ON THE EXPRESSION OF HUMAN ENDOTHELIAL ADHESION MOLECULES

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) possibly play a dominant role in the pathogenesis of macrovascular disease in diabetes. Recent studies could demonstrate that glycated albumin (AGE-BSA) was able to stimula te vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM.1) on endothelial cells. Th e aim of this study was to find out if AGE-BSA was not only able to en hance the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, but also of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-Selectin on human en dothelial cells. Stimulation of endothelial cells with AGE-BSA for six hours predominantly increased the expression of VCAM-1, but ICAM-1 an d E-Selectin were also upregulated as shown by immunoilluminometric as say (ILMA).