Correlation between soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 level and extracellular superoxide dismutase activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a possible association with disease activity

Abstract

Objective: We investigated serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM‐1) and the activity of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC‐SOD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also considered whether there was a correlation between sICAM‐1 and EC‐SOD and disease activity.

Methods: Levels of sICAM‐1 were measured in serum from 42 patients with active RA and 30 control subjects by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). EC‐SOD activity was determined in sera isolated from patients with active RA and from controls.

Results: The serum levels of sICAM‐1 were significantly higher in patients with RA than in control subjects (p<0.001). In contrast, the activity of EC‐SOD was significantly lower in RA patients than in healthy controls (p<0.001). A significant negative correlation was found between the levels of sICAM‐1 and EC‐SOD activity (r=−0.39, p<0.01). There was a statistically positive correlation between sICAM‐1 levels with Ritchie articular index (RAI) score and C‐reactive protein (CRP) (r=0.32, p<0.05; r=0.44, p<0.01, respectively)

Conclusions: These results show that the increased levels of sICAM‐1 present in active RA patients might be due to the decreased activity of EC‐SOD, and increased levels of sICAM‐1 may also reflect disease status or activity.

• intercellular adhesion molecule‐1
• superoxide dismutase
• rheumatoid arthritis