This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Kukla, M. Articles by Nowak, B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1: role in pathogenesis and diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C and association with response to antiviral therapy

Department of Physiology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland, kuklamich@ poczta.onet.pl

Krystyna Zwirska-Korczala

Department of Physiology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia Katowice, Poland

Andrzej Gabriel

Department of Pathomorphology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice Poland

Ewa Janczewska-Kazek

Department of Physiology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia Katowice, Poland, Outpatients Clinic for Infectious Diseases Chorzów, Poland

Agnieszka Berdowska

Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Jan Dlugosz University Czstochowa, Poland

Andrzej Wiczkowski

Department of Biology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice Poland

Barbara Rybus-Kalinowska

Department of Basic Sciences in Bytom Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

Mariusz Kalinowski

Department of Cardiology Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

Adam Ziolkowski

Department of Pathomorphology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice Poland

Elzbieta Wozniak-Grygiel

Department of Physiology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia Katowice, Poland

Marek Waluga

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Silesia Katowice, Poland

Blazej Nowak

Department of Internal Medicine, Regional Hospital in Nowa Sol Poland

Aim: To analyze the relationship between pretreatment clinical or histological features and the levels of soluble platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), to determine their serum concentration in responders and nonresponders, to evaluate the behavior under antiviral therapy, to explain their relationship in response to therapy and to assess the association between these two molecules in chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

Methods: The study analyzed 65 CHC patients, including 50 patients (Group 1) with marked fibrosis treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin, 15 patients without fibrosis (Group 2) and 13 healthy volunteers (the control group, Group 3). sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels were assessed by an immunoenzymatic method (ELISA) before and after therapy.

Results: sVCAM-1 and sPECAM-1 serum concentrations increased significantly in CHC patients (p<0.001). sPECAM-1 levels corresponded to inflammatory grade (p = 0.03) and fibrosis stage (p = 0.01). sVCAM-1 increased only in advanced fibrosis. After therapy, sPECAM-1 levels decreased significantly (p<0.001) with no difference between responders and nonresponders. sPECAM-1 correlated positively with inflammatory activity (p = 0.02), fibrosis stage (p<0.001), sVCAM-1 (r = 0.56, p<0.001) and alanine aminotransferase activity (r = 0.30, p = 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a good discriminant power of serum sPECAM-1 concentrations for detection of liver fibrosis — stage 0 versus stage 1—3, AUC 0.81; cut-off 221.0 ng/ml and a fair discriminant power for distinguishing bridging fibrosis, AUC 0.78; cut-off 237.1 ng/ml.

Conclusions: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection results in upregulation of sPECAM-1 and sVCAM-1. sPECAM-1 levels are related to necroinflammatory activity and may also identify patients with advanced fibrosis. The sPECAM-1 value was decreased by therapy but its measurement cannot predict therapy outcome and confirm HCV persistence. sPECAM-1 may influence VCAM-1 expression.

Key Words: soluble platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 • soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 • chronic hepatitis C • fibrosis • inflammatory activity • antiviral therapy

Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, Vol. 2, No. 2, 79-90 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1756283X08100666


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?