Circulating ICAM-1 levels in bronchial asthma and the effect of inhaled corticosteroids

Background: Even mild asthma has an inflammatory component. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays an important role in inflammation. Higher levels of circulating ICAM-1 (cICAM-1) in sera may reflect the upregulation of ICAM-1 expression in allergic inflammation. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess cICAM-1 levels in children with atopic bronchial asthma and to determine the effects of inhaled glucocorticoids on cICAM-I levels. Methods: The study group consisted of 25 children with moderate atopic bronchial asthma with a mean age of 9.9 +/- 4.2 years, and the control group consisted of 18 healthy children with a mean age of 9.6 +/- 2.6 years. Serum cICAM-1 levels and pulmonary function tests were measured. The patients were treated 2 months with inhaled budesonide 400 to 800 mu g (mean 440 mu g) per day. After this treatment, cICAM-1 levels and pulmonary function tests were compared with pretreatment levels. The pretreatment cICAM-1 values were compared with healthy control group. Results: The initial cICAM-1 levels of the patient group were significantly higher than the cICAM-1 levels of the control group (P =.001). The post-treatment cICAM-1 levels of the patient group were significantly lower than the pretreatment values (P =.007). Pulmonary function test results (FEV1, FEF25-75, and PEER) rose significantly with the treatment in patients (P <.05). Conclusion: This study revealed the presence of inflammation in children with even moderate atopic asthma as reflected with elevated levels of cICAM-1 levels, which decreased following corticosteroid treatment as a;result of decreased inflammation.