Differential upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in coeliac disease.

The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was studied on peroral jejunal biopsies from patients with coeliac disease. The biopsies from untreated patients exhibited greater staining of the superficial lamina propria cells compared with treated patients and controls. A gluten challenge in treated patients produced an altered staining pattern within 2 h. The results demonstrate the role of ICAM-1 expression in coeliac disease, providing further evidence for the role of lamina propria cells in the pathogenesis of this condition.