Serum concentrations of soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in patients with colorectal cancer. Clinical implications

Abstract

In colorectal cancer (CRC), serum levels of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 increase with progressing disease. Our aim was to investigate the effect of treatment in serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Serum levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were determined in 154 patients with CRC. Patients with non-metastatic disease had been treated with "curative" resections, and those with advanced disease were receiving chemotherapy. A group of 48 healthy blood donors served as control. Serum concentrations ranging 2SD above and below the controls median were accepted as "normal". Significantly more patients with advanced disease demonstrated high serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 (p<0.001, p=0.043 respectively). However, in some of them serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were below "normal". Serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 may be valuable markers of residual or biologically aggressive disease after curative resections. In advanced disease, they could be useful predictors of response to chemotherapy.