Prediction of serum markers of fibrosis by levels of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in acute and chronic liver disease

To clarify the link between cytotoxic damage to the hepatocyte and the development of fibrosis, we immunoenzymatically measured serum prolyl hydroxylase (hPH), type IV collagen (CL-IV) and circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (cICAM-1). The population studied was comprised of 122 patients with liver disease (acute hepatitis; mild chronic liver disease; cirrhosis; hepatocellular carcinoma) and 33 patients with extrahepatic diseases. Similar patterns were observed for hPH, CL-IV, and cICAM-1, that were higher in patients with acute hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma than in those with mild chronic liver disease (Bonferroni's test for pairwise comparisons, p < 0.01) Liver function tests and markers of fibrosis showed a strict correlation, which disappeared when the linear effect of cICAM-1 was removed. The ability to predict serum hPH and CL-IV from cICAM-1 might suggest the existence of a causal relationship between fibrosis and targeting of cytotoxic damage.