Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin in patients with acute coronary syndrome

To characterize the role of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin in patients with acute coronary syndrome, serum levels of ICAM-1 and E-selectin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Group 1 comprised 17 patients with acute myocardial infarction; group 2 included 17 patients with unstable angina; and group 3 included 19 control subjects, These 53 patients all had prolonged chest pain within 24 h and all underwent coronary angiography. Group 1 and 2 patients had significant coronary artery disease, while group 3 had normal coronary arteries, Blood samples were collected at the emergency department before antiplatelet agents were given, Serum levels of ICAM-1 were higher in group 1 and 2 (383+/-27 and 337+/-11 ng/mL, respectively) as compared with group 3 (282+/-18 ng/mL) (group I vs 3, p<0.01; group 2 vs 3, p<0.05), The serum levels of ICAM-1 were not significantly different between group 1 and 2, Serum levels of E-selectin in group 1, 2, and 3 were 58+/-8, 51+/-4, and 58+/-5 ng/mL, respectively, The serum levels of E-selectin showed no significant difference among the three groups, In conclusion, serum levels of ICAM-1 were elevated in patients with acute coronary syndrome within 24 h, while the E-selectin levels did not change significantly. This finding suggests that adhesion molecule may play an important role in the postrolling process of leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in acute coronary syndrome.