ABSTRACT
Infiltration of cells into the lung in bronchial asthma is regulated by several expressions of cell adhesion molecules [CAMs] on cells present in the airways, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. The object of the study was to assess the levels of circulating forms of the cellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1, and L-selectin, in young children with bronchial asthma, and to investigate the relation between disease severity and these levels. Serum levels of sICAM-1 and sL-selectin were determined by using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits in 30 children [19 males and 11 females], suffering from chronic bronchial asthma, their ages ranged from 2-14 years [6.73 +/- 3.18 ys], in addition to 18 healthy children of matching age and sex as a control group. The results showed that serum level of sICAM-1 was significantly higher in asthmatic children compared to controls [48.84 +/- 32.15 ng/ml vs 24.88 +/- 23.72 ng/ml, p< 0.009]. serum level of sL-selectin was significantly higher in asthmatic children compared to healthy subjects [2354.81 +/- 715.66 ng/ml vs 1625.63 +/- 638.12 ng/ml, p<0.001]. children with severe asthma had significantly higher levels of sICAM-1 [86.95 +/- 21.14 ng/ml] than children with moderate asthma [45.9 +/- 13.32 ng/ml] and those with mild asthma [14.66 +/- 9.79 ng/ml, p<0.001]. also, children with severe asthma had significantly higher levels of sL-selectin [3039.42 +/- 380.42 ng/ml] than children with moderate asthma [2452.45 +/- 219.86 ng/ml] and those with mild asthma [1540.05 +/- 597.59 ng/ml, p< 0.001] serum levels of sICAM-1 and sL-selectin had significant negative correlation with age, and significant positive correlation with total leukocytic count neutrophil count, total lymphocyte, eosinophil and monocytes counts. This study provides further evidence that serum concentrations of sICAM-1, and sL-selectin are increased in acute asthma. Levels were significantly higher in severe than in mild or moderate cases