Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the sera of patients with Graves' disease: correlation with disease activity and treatment status

• Published in: Thyroid (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 5; no. 5; p. 373
• Main Authors: Fukazawa, H, Yoshida, K, Kaise, N, Kiso, Y, Sayama, N, Mori, K, Kikuchi, K, Aizawa, Y, Rikimaru, A, Abe, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-10-1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antithyroid Agents - therapeutic use; Female; Graves Disease - blood; Graves Disease - drug therapy; Graves Disease - radiotherapy; Humans; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Iodine Radioisotopes - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Recurrence; Reference Values; Remission Induction; Thyroid Diseases - blood
• ISSN: 1050-7256
• DOI: 10.1089/thy.1995.5.373

Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), a ligand for lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), plays an important role in a variety of immune-mediated mechanisms such as lymphocyte attachment to cultured Graves' thyroid cells. We report the detection of a soluble form of the ICAM-1 molecule (sICAM-1) in sera from patients with Graves' disease (GD) and other thyroid disorders. The mean (+/- SD) sICAM-1 concentration in 28 euthyroid control subjects was 1931 +/- 681 pmol/L. The mean sICAM-1 concentration in 25 untreated hyperthyroid patients with GD was significantly elevated (3065 +/- 890 pmol/L), and decreased significantly (2489 +/- 845 pmol/L) after treatment with antithyroid drugs and/or 131I. Of 14 GD patients who had been in remission following administration of antithyroid drugs, 12 had recurrent disease. In 10 of the 12 patients in whom GD recurred, the sICAM-1 concentration (3807 +/- 796 pmol/L) increased significantly. The mean sICAM-1 concentration in patients with hypothyroidism due to chronic thyroiditis (n = 15:2895 +/- 569 pmol/L) was significantly elevated over that of control subjects, and not different from untreated hyperthyroid patients. The mean sICAM-1 concentration in patients with subacute thyroiditis (n = 13: 3036 +/- 441 pmol/L) was significantly elevated, while the mean sICAM-1 concentration in patients with nodular goiter (n = 10: 2318 +/- 490 pmol/L) was within the normal range. These results indicate that mean serum sICAM-1 concentration was significantly elevated in patients with untreated GD, and it decreased after treatment and increased at the time of recurrence. Therefore, the elevated serum concentration of sICAM-1 in patient with GD probably reflects ongoing immune processes.