Serum Soluble Vascular‐Cell Adhesion Molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) in Patients with Acute and Chronic Liver Diseases

Abstract

Our aim was to ascertain the degree of variation of serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) concentrations according to the nature and the severity of an underlying liver disease. One-hundred forty sera collected from 123 patients (83 male, 40 female) with acute hepatitis (n = 14), mild chronic liver disease (n = 52) or cirrhosis (n = 57) of different etiologies as well as from 17 healthy blood donors (8 male, 9 female) were studied. Soluble VCAM-1 concentration was measured immunoenzymatically. One-way analysis of variance revealed a significant variability of the mean values of soluble VCAM-1 among groups (F = 80.02, p < 0.0001). All groups of patients had higher soluble VCAM-1 than controls; moreover, patients with acute hepatitis and patients with cirrhosis had higher soluble VCAM-1 levels than patients with mild chronic liver disease (Bonferroni's test, p < 0.01). These results did not change after stratification of patients according to the etiology (viral or toxic) of liver disease (two-way analysis of variance: grouping factor diagnosis, F = 60.39, p < 0.0001; grouping factor etiology, F = 1.73, p NS). Cholinesterase, total bilirubin, circulating thrombocytes and blood area nitrogen were the independent predictors of the concentration of soluble VCAM-1. In conclusion, patients with liver disease have high serum soluble VCAM-1, which seems to reflect more the severity of impairment of liver function rather than the etiologic nature of the disease.