Soluble VCAM-1 and E-selectin, but not ICAM-1 discriminate endothelial injury in patients with documented coronary artery disease

It has been shown that endothelial cell adhesion molecules play an importan t role in the development of coronary atherosclerosis and inflammatory dise ase. We sought to test whether soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (V CAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin are incre ased in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). Plasma leve ls of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin were measured in 40 patients with docum ented CAD, 20 subjects with angiographically documented normal coronary art eries, and 14 healthy volunteers. Patients with documented CAD exhibited si gnificant elevation of VCAM-1 (535 +/- 227.1 ng/ml, p = 0.0001), E-selectin (69.4 +/- 29.4 ng/ml, p = 0.006), but not ICAM-1 (320.5 +/- 65.1 ng/ml, p = 0.9) concentrations as compared to subjects with normal coronary arteries (252.3 +/- 79.8, 49.7 +/- 22.0 and 311.4 +/- 40.2 ng/ml), and healthy cont rols (110.0 +/- 17.7, 29.0 +/- 2.0 and 237.5 +/- 46.5 ng/ml), respectively. Soluble markers of endothelial injury are not uniformly increased in patie nts with documented CAD as compared to those with normal coronary arteries and healthy controls. However, VCAM-1 and E-selectin, but not ICAM-1 could identify endothelial injury in such patients. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.