Objective: Hyperlipoproteinemia is one of the factors that are involved in the development of atherosclerosis. One of the mechanisms through which these high plasma lipid levels trigger the formation of atherosclerotic lesions is a change in the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in patients with Type IIa (HLP-IIa) and IIb (HLP-IIb) hyperlipoproteinemias.
Subjects: Twenty patients with HLP-IIa, 20 patients with HLP-IIb and 23 control subjects were studied. To accurately evaluate adhesion molecule levels, we excluded those hyperlipemic patients and control subjects who had an inflammatory disease.
Methods: Plasma sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and MCP-1 levels were measured by the ELISA method.
Results: sVCAM-1 levels in HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb patients (535 +/- 27 ng/ml and 545 +/- 22 ng/ml, respectively) did not differ significantly from those in the control group (558 +/- 20 ng/ml). sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb (279 +/- 10 ng/ml and 322 +/- 12 ng/ml, respectively) compared to the control group (226 +/- 10 ng/ml). MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb patients (151 +/- 12 pg/ml vs 154 +/- 12 pg/ml, respectively) compared to healthy controls (98 +/- 4 pg/ml). sICAM-1 levels in the HLP-IIb group were significantly higher than in the HLP-IIa group.
Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that lipid abnormalities affect the levels of adhesion molecules and chemokines in plasma.