Do soluble cell adhesion molecules play a role in endometriosis?

PROBLEM: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with di verse immunologic disturbances. Cell adhesion molecules are essential for t he development of immune and inflammatory reactions. This study was conduct ed to investigate whether or not serum and peritoneal levels of soluble cel l adhesion molecules are altered in women with endometriosis. METHOD OF STUDY: The study group comprised five women with moderate-to-seve re endometriosis. Eight healthy women with a normal diagnostic laparoscopy served as controls. Serum and peritoneal fluid samples from both groups wer e analyzed for the soluble isoform of intercellular cell adhesion molecule- 1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), endothelial selec tin (sES), and platelet selectin (sPS). RESULTS: Serum levels of sICAM-1 were significantly increased in women with endometriosis (median levels: 410.4 ng/mL, range: 233.9 ng/mL - 598.4 ng/m l vs. 235.7 ng/mL; range: 187.4 ng/mL - 323.7 ng/mL; P = 0.02). Although th e levels of sVCAM-1, sES, and sPS in both samples were higher in the study group, the differences did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a role of ICAM-1 in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. However, the role of other investigated cell adhesion molec ules should be confirmed by further studies.