THE INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SILENT CEREBRAL INFARCTION IN ELDERLY DIABETIC-PATIENTS - ASSOCIATION WITH SERUM-SOLUBLE ADHESION MOLECULES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between complications arising from silent cerebral infarction (SCI) and change s in the levels of serum-soluble adhesion molecules in 82 elderly diab etic patients aged 60 years and older. SCI was found in 43 % of the 82 patients, with incidence increasing in relation to age. The prevalenc e of SCI was higher in subjects with hypertension, poor metabolic cont rol and increased fibrinolysis. The levels of soluble intercellular ad hesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM- 1) and E-selectin (sE-selectin) were higher in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic subjects (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, and p < 0.05, respectiv ely). Also, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were found at increased levels in diab etic patients with SCI compared to those without SCI (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In particular, the level of sICAM-1 was increase d in patients with SCI due to perforating arterial occlusion, while th e level of sVCAM-1 was increased in patients with SCI due to cortical arterial occlusion. However. no significant difference was found in sE -selectin levels. Overall average of the intima and media thickness (I MT) of the common carotid arteries increased with age. IMT proved to b e greater in patients with SCI than in patients without SCI (p < 0.05) , and showed a weak but significant positive correlation with sVCAM-1, while no correlation was found with either sICAM-1 or sE-selectin lev els. In conclusion, measurement of serum adhesion molecules may be use ful for diagnosing the early stages of brain damage and for prophylact ic treatment which may prevent the onset or progression of SCI.