Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 concentration in sera of patients with acute and chronic liver disease: Relationship to disease activity and cirrhosis

Abstract

To study the influence of chronic hepatitis on intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 serum concentration, we measured intercellular adhesion molecular‐1 in the serum of 84 patients with chronic liver disease (17 chronic persistent hepatitis, 42 chronic active hepatitis and 25 active cirrhosis) caused by hepatitis B virus (n = 46), hepatitis C virus (n = 10) and autoimmunity (n = 28). Furthermore, 20 patients with acute viral hepatitis (16 hepatitis B virus and 4 hepatitis A virus) and 6 patients with acute drug‐induced hepatitis were included. Sera from 20 healthy persons were used as control. Follow‐up examinations were performed during immunosuppressive therapy in 20 patients with autoimmune chronic liver disease (13 chronic active hepatitis and 7 active cirrhosis). Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 serum concentration was significantly increased in patients with acute viral hepatitis, drug‐induced hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and active cirrhosis compared with healthy controls and with patients with chronic persistent hepatitis. Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 was also significantly increased in severe chronic active hepatitis and active cirrhosis compared with moderate chronic active hepatitis and moderate active cirrhosis. Serum concentration of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 decreased significantly in patients with autoimmune chronic liver disease after 2 mo of immunosuppression when remission was present. A close correlation between aspartate aminotransferase and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 serum levels was found. We conclude the following: (a) in chronic liver disease intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 serum concentration may represent, at least in part, hepatocellular damage; and (b) intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 serum level does not differentiate between chronic autoimmune and chronic viral hepatitis. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:798‐802). Copyright © 1993 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases