Levels of soluble forms of ICAM and VCAM in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and their prognostic significance.

The aim of this study was to assess circulating soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in order to evaluate their clinical significance. Seventy patients with untreated MDS [21 refractory anemia (RA), nine RA with ringed sideroblasts (RARS), 17 RA with excess of blasts (RAEB), 11 RAEB in transformation (RAEBt), and 12 chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)] were included in this study. Serum levels of sICAM, sVCAM, and IL-1beta were determined at diagnosis using commercially available immunoassays. In addition, 15 healthy volunteers were studied as a control group. sICAM, sVCAM, and IL-1beta serum levels were significantly higher in MDS patients in comparison with the control group (P <0.001). Patients with CMML showed the highest sICAM, sVCAM, and IL-1beta levels in comparison with other MDS-related subtypes. Furthermore significantly elevated levels of the studied parameters were detected in high-risk MDS patients (RAEB, RAEB-t, and CMML) in comparison with low-risk MDS (RA and RARS). IL-1beta was strongly correlated both to sICAM and sVCAM. In conclusion we have provided evidence that increased sICAM and sVCAM serum levels are related to MDS severity.