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

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 bi lirubin, circulating thrombocytes and blood urea 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.