To clarify conflicting claims of altered serum concentrations of soluble L-
selectin (sCD62L) in recent-onset IDDM, sCD62L was measured in 89 children
and adolescents with IDDM (35 recent-onset, 12 during the first year of ins
ulin treatment, and 42 with long-standing (> 1 yr) treatment) alongside 124
controls. Children < 14 yr of age both with and without IDDM (n = 160) had
grossly elevated sCD62L, concentrations (20.2 +/- 4.9 nmol/l), as compared
with adolescents (14-18 yr, n = 23; 15.9 +/- 3.9 nmol/l) and adults (> 18
yr, n = 30; 11.2 +/- 2.3 nmol/l) (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis confir
med the strong inverse association between age and sCD62L (p < 0.001) while
revealing that sCD62L concentrations were slightly elevated in recent-onse
t IDDM, as compared with insulin-treated IDDM patients or nondiabetic contr
ols (p = 0.028). Actual sCD62L, concentrations in the 35 recent-onset IDDM
patients were 22.2 +/- 4.9 nmol/L vs 19.6 +/- 3.6 nmol/l in 35 non-diabetic
controls matched for age (p = 0.022). While this significant but small ris
e of systemic sCD62L reflects leukocyte activation, it is obscured by the i
nverse association between sCD62L and chronological age in children and ado
lescents. Therefore, determining sCD62L serum concentrations appears to be
of limited value for clinical investigators caring for children and adolesc
ents with IDDM.