THE SERUM LEVELS OF SE-SELECTIN ARE INCREASED IN PATIENTS WITH BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID OR PEMPHIGUS-VULGARIS - CORRELATION WITH THE NUMBER OF SKIN-LESIONS AND RECOVERY AFTER CORTICOSTEROID-THERAPY

Soluble E (sE)-selectin represents the soluble isoform of cellular E-s electin, an adhesion molecule synthesized only by endothelial cells. A s a consequence, it may be considered a marker of endothelial activity . The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the serum levels of sE-selectin in nine patients affected with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and in 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP). Higher amounts of sE-sel ectin, median 40.3 ng/mL, range 30-109.6 were found in the patients wh en compared with 20 healthy individuals, median 28.5 ng/mL, range 6.4- 48; P < 0.01, matched for sex and age, These levels were also signific antly correlated with the number of detectable lesions (r = 0.63, P < 0.001) when the patient data were considered at the time of the first observation, Thirteen subjects were followed over time for a maximum o f 3 months (from three to seven observations). During therapy, the num ber of lesions and the serum sE-selectin values decreased concomitantl y, Differently from sE-selectin, the serum soluble intercellular adhes ion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) values were not significantly different in th e patients from the controls and showed no correlation with the serum sE-selectin concentrations or with the number of lesions. The data pre sented point to the possible use of sE-selectin determinations as a no n-specific follow-up marker, suitable to gauge disease intensity over time and emphasize that endothelial activation is present in BP as wel l as in PV.