Cireulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1] rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [C. ICAM-1] levels were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay for sera collected from 29 patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and 20 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] as well as synovial fluid samples collected from 5 out of the 29 RA patients. Serum samples from 10 healthy persons were tested as a control group. The concentration of C3[c] complement component was also measured in the serum of patients with SLE by single RID technique and compared with its concentration in the control group. There was a significant increase [p<0.05] in the level of CICAM-1 in SLE patients compared with normal controls. In contrast, non significant increase was found in patients with RA. Levels of CICAM-1 was non significantly increased in synovial fluid compared with serum in paired samples from patients with RA. A highly significant increase in C. ICAM-1 levels was found in SLE patients [p<0.01] as compared to RA patients. Level of CICAM-1 correlated significantly with increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] and decreased haemoglobin [Hb] level in SLE patients. There was significant positive correlation between C ICAM-1levels and joint score in patients with RA. Highly significant decrease in C3[c] complement component was found in SLE patients as compared to control group, but there was non significant correlation between CICAM-1 levels and C3[c] complement component levels in those patients. From the previous results, it was found that ICAM-1 could be used as a parameter of activity in patients with SLE and to less extent in patients with RA. Non significant difference was found in CICAM-1 levels in synovial fluid versus serum

Exercise and the immune system

The effect of 8 weeks of bicycle training on the immune system was evaluated in 20 healthy volunteers and 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. Resting levels of serum IL[6] [by ELISA] and serum Ig[G] [by single RID technique] were measured before and then after 8 weeks of training. The study revealed a highly statistical significant increase [P<0.01] in the concentration of serum IL-[6] in the healthy individuals after training compared to its resting [baseline] level [240.62 +/- 281.62 versus 102.5 +/- 209.11]. On the contrary, there was non-significant decrease [P>0.05] in the concentration of serum Ig[G] [23.97 +/- 0.23 versus 27.43 +/- 8.06]. The decrease in the post exercise concentration of serum IgG was significantly correlated with the age of individuals. In RA patients, 8 weeks bicycle training didn't induce any significant effect either on the concentration of serum IL-[6] [116.67 +/- 61.21] or Ig[G] [27.99 +/- 7.95] as compared to their pre-exercise levels [100 +/- 142.55, 29.97 +/- 61.21 respectively]. A significant positive correlation [P<0.05] was found between the post-exercise IL-6 levels and the disease duration and between post-exercise Ig[G] levels and the duration of morning stiffness. There was also a significant negative correlation [P< 0.05] between the difference in the concentration of serum IL-[6] and that of Ig[G] in relation to training. It can be concluded that 8 weeks bicycle training induced an enhancing effect on the cellular and not humoral immune system in healthy individuals. On the other hand, this training didn't influence either the cellular or humoral immune system of patients with RA