Serum levels of adhesion molecules in the acute and chronic phases of cerebral thrombosis

Abstract

We determined the serum concentrations of soluble forms of the adhesion molecules, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin in acute cerebral thrombosis. The subjects comprised 29 post-stroke patients (19 cases of small-vessel disease, SVD; and 10 of large-vessel disease, LVD) and 19 controls. ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin were measured by the single step ELISA method (R & D System Europe, UK) in the acute (within 3 days after an initial stroke), subacute (7-10 days), and chronic (28-35 days) phases. We found that the serum ICAM-1 concentration was significantly higher in the chronic phase of LVD (397 ± 123 ng/ml, p < 0.05) than in the controls (277 ± 81 ng/ml) and in the acute phase of LVD (283 ± 71 ng/ml). The serum VCAM-1 concentration was significantly higher in the subacute (SVD, 933 ± 294 ng/ml; LVD, 1223 ± 433 ng/ml) and chronic (SVD, 805 ± 224 ng/ml; LVD, 1030 ± 256 ng/ml) phases of SVD and LVD than in the controls (584 ± 79 ng/ml), the acute phase of SVD (629 ± 157 ng/ml), and LVD (712 ± 203 ng/ml). The serum E-selectin concentration was significantly higher in the acute and chronic phases of SVD and in the chronic phase of LVD than in the controls, but there was no significant differences between the phases. These findings suggest that adhesion molecules may play important roles in the pathophysiology of the acute and chronic phases of cerebral thrombosis.