Intercellular adhesion molecule [ICAM-1] in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

In recent years, great progress has been made towards elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of inflammation. Sixteen patients with obstructive lung disease were included in the present study. Eight patients were diagnosed as having bronchial asthma [Group I], and eight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD, Group II]. Asthmatic patients were all in status necessitating their admission to the hospital. COPD patients were subdivided into two equal groups: group IIA; included four patients with COPD admitted to the ward with acute exacerbations of their disease and group IIB; included four other patients with acute exacerbations necessitating their admission to the respiratory intensive care unit [RICU] in acute respiratory failure. Seven healthy adult subjects were selected as a control group [Group III]. Soluble serum ICAM-1 was analyzed. Moreover respiratory function data [flow volume, spirometric variables] including; forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV[1]], forced expiratory flow rate at 25% to 75% of the vital capacity [FEF[25-75%]] and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] were measured in all patients [n=16]. The mean value of soluble ICAM-1 in the control group was 205.7 +/- 51.3 ng/ml and it was 3I2.5 +/- 175.8 ng/ml in the patients with obstructive lung disease enrolled in the present study [Group I and II]. In patients with broncheal asthma [Group I] the mean value of ICAM-1 was 282.5 +/- 226.6 ng/ml, while it was 342.5 +/- 113.2 ng/ml in patients with COPD [Group II]. In group IIA the mean value was 355 +/- 81.9 ng/ml, and group IIB it was 292 +/- 156 ng/ml. The results of the present study revealed a significant difference between the mean values of serum ICAM-1 in patients with COPD and the control group. There was no significant difference between all patients [asthmatics and COPD patients] and the control group and also there was insignificant difference between group IIA and IIB. It was concluded from the present study that ICAM-1 was higher in patients with COPD in acute exacerbations than in patients with status asthmaticus. Spirometric variables measured in group I and II showed insignificant difference and the results of the present study revealed no significant correlation between serum ICAM-1 and the spirometeric variables in group I and II