ABSTRACT
to determine the serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules in children suffering collagen vascular diseases and to determine whether their levels differs during activity and remission of the disease and whether differences in these levels exist between healthy and diseased children. Serum levels of soluble E-selectin [sE-selectin], soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-I [sICAM-l] and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-I [sVCAM-l] were determined by enzyme linked imniunosorbent assay [ELISA] in 50 children. 20 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis [JRA] [during activity and remission], 20 children with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], [during activity and remission], and 10 normal healthy children of comparable age and sex as a control group. Serum rheumatoid factor [RF] and CRP were determined by latex agglutination tests, serum antinuclear antibody [ANA] by indirect immuneoflorescent assay. highly significant differences in the levels of sE-selectin, sICAM-l and sVCAM-l were found in children with JRA during activity and remission [p<0.0001], and a highly significant differences of the three values were found between children with JRA and control [p<0.001]. In children with SLE in activity, a highly significant level of sE-selectin, sICAM-l and sVCAM-l were found when compared to those during remission [p<0.001], while a high significant difference in the level of sVCAM-l was found between children with SLE in activity and control, [p<0.0001]. No significant statistical correlation was found between soluble adhesion molecules and markers of inflammation [CRP, ESR]. A positive correlation was found between sICAM-l arid 5VCAM-l in children with JRA during activity, [r=0.77, p<0.01], and an inverse statistical correlation was found between sVCAM and age in children with SLE during activity [r=-0.84, p<0.001]. A significant raised levels of sE-selectin, sICAM-l and sVCAM-l in children with IRA and of 5VCAM-1 in children with SLE, with a distinct profile of raised soluble adhesion molecules in different forms of collagen vascular disorders. Different levels of sE-selectin, sICAM-l and sVCAM-l in the inflammatory vasculitis may be useful in establishing role of leucocyte/ endothelial adhesion in these diseases and used as markers of disease activity