ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The expression of adhesion molecules contribute to development of systemic diseases. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-l(VCAM-1) is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein that has been implicated in leukocyte/endothelial cell interactions in inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize the surface expression and regulation of VCAM-1 on two different endothelial cells. METHOD: We examined the effects of the expression of VCAM-1 in two different endothelial cells, isolated from human umbilical cords and human glomerulus. Expression of VCAM-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In human umbilical cord endothelial cells(HUVECs), both interleukin-l B(IL-lB) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) increased VCAM-1 expression. VCAM-1 expression increased by TNF-a was higher than that increased by IL-lB. In human glomerular endothelial cells(HGECs), IL-lB and TNF-a markedly increased VCAM-1 expression. Conclusion. The regulation of VCAM-1 appears to be somewhat different in HGECs compared with HUVECs. These differences between the responsiveness of the two cells may possibly indicate inherent differences in endothelial cell derived from different vascular beds.