ABSTRACT
Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1] is a marker of inflammation and tissue damage. To determine the serum level of sIC AM-1 in patients with chronic HCV and to correlate the results with the histopathological changes. The study included thirty subjects divided into two groups: group I [GI] comprising 20 patients [mean age 39.7 +/- 8.5 years] with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and group II [Gil] of 10 healthy age and sex-matched control subjects [mean age 37.8 +/- 10.52 years]. Serum concentrations of sICAM were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] kit as per manufacturer's instructions [R and D Systems, Europe, Abingdon, UK]. Diagnosis of HCV was done by detection of HCV-antibodies by 3[rd] generation ELISA, detection of HCV-RNA using a quantitative automated nested reverse transcriptase PCR assay [COBAS AMPLICOR HCV MONITOR Test, v 2.0., Roche Molecular Systems, Switzerland] and histopathological examination of Liver biopsy. Histological grading and staging were assessed with reference to modified histological activity index [HA1] scoring system. The level of sICAM in GI [mean 1046.5 +/- 1059.5 ng/ml] was significantly higher than Gil [mean 233.8 +/- 115.65 ng/ml] [t = 2.4; P = 0.02]. The levels of sICAM correlated positively in GI with serum bilirubin [r=0.65, P=0.003], ALT [r=0.63, P=O.OI], AST [r=0.64, P=0.02], grade and stage of hepatitis [r=0.75, 0.68; P=O.OOI, 0.005 respectively]. There was a significant negative correlation between sICAM and both serum albumin [r=-0.71; P=0.001] and prothrombin activity [r=-63; P=0.01]. However, sICAM was not correlated with the levels of HCV-RNA [r=0.38; P=0.1]. The level of HCV-RNA was not correlated to any of the liver function tests as well as grade and stage of hepatitis. The severity of liver disease was independent of serum level of HCV-RNA; the measurement of sICAM-1 serum levels in chronic hepatitis C patients can be considered as a useful non-invasive marker for monitoring liver disease activity