Assessment of the role of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in the pathogenesis and as a marker of disease severity in different stages of human schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis.

The role of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) in the pathogenesis and its relevance to disease severity was assessed in different stages of human infection with S. mansoni, S. haematobium and T. gondii. The levels of sICAM-1, obtained in the current study correlated with disease severity, degree of cell destruction and type of immune response. Highest sICAM-1 levels were observed in only two groups (hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and patients with mixed active S. haematobium and T. gondii infections), while in the other two groups (separate cases of active S. haematobium infection or latent T. gondii infection) showed no significant rise in sICAM-1 levels.