Decreased plasma intercellular adhesion molecule-3 levels are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder in medication-free children

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The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the plasma levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-3 (sICAM-3), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and/or platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1) were associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in childhood. A total of 42 (25 boys, 17 girls) medication-free children with OCD and 38 (18 boys, 20 girls) healthy controls aged 8–18 years were included in the study. The severity of the OCD symptoms was assessed using the Children's Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. The Children's Depression Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders were used to measure the children's depression and anxiety levels. The sICAM-1, sICAM-3, sVCAM-1, and sPECAM-1 concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a significant main effect on both groups in terms of the concentrations of plasma adhesion molecules, which was independent of the severities of depression and anxiety, body mass index percentile, age, and sex. An analysis of covariance showed that plasma sICAM-3 concentrations were significantly lower in the OCD group than in the control group. These data suggest that sICAM-3 may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of OCD in children.