Effect of Hemodialysis on Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

Abstract

Adhesion molecules are receptors that play key physiological role in cell-cell and cell matrix interactions. They are thus important in the development and maintenance of inflammatory and immune responses anl leucocyte-vessel wall interactions.

The aim of this work is to study the kinetics of adhesion molecules in CRF patients or the effect of hemodialysis on adhesion molecules particularly emphasizing the membrane effect and wether it correlates with dialysis associated leucopenia. The study included 37 patients who were divided into 3 groups: Control group, ESRD group and CRF patients under regular hemodialysis treatment.

The study revealed a significant elevation in the levels of both s.ICAM and s.VCAM in all study groups. Moreover, comparative studies were done between the serum levels of both ICAM-VCAM before and after dialysis, using cuprophane or hemophane membranes. These studies revealed that using the hemophane membrane both levels of siCAM and sVCAM were increased by 15.8% and 13.11% respectively, though reaching statistical significance only for the latter.