0130

SOLUBLE INTERCELLULAR ADHESION MOLECULE-1 IN SERA OF CHILDREN WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Zheng RX, Chu GL, Zhao H, Kan X

Pediatric Department, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

 

Objective: To determine whether bronchial asthma attacks in children is associated with increased levels of serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1(sICAM-1).

Methods: 20 healthy control children and 20 asthmatic children aged 2 to 8 years old were included in the study. The concentrations of sICAM-1 were measured in sera of the controls, and the patients during attack and non-attack of asthma using an radioimmunoassy.

Result: In children with asthma, The mean (+/- SD) level of serum sICAM-1 in the active phase of asthma (443.2+/-108.3 ng/ml) was higher than that in the stable phase of the disease (363.3+/-33.9 ng/ml; p <0.05). Compared to the healthy controls (183.2+/-22.8 ng/ml), the levels of ICAM-1 in the children with asthma were significantly increased either in the active or stable phase(p<0.01, p<0.05, respectively).

Conclusion: ICAM-1 plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of asthma. It is a promising serological marker of asthma which would not only indicate inflammation but also allow the monitoring of therapy and intervention.