To better understand potential associations of circulating adhesion molecules (cAMs) with diabetic microangiopathy, circulating serum concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (cICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (cVCAM-1), and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (cELAM-1) were determined in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) (n = 70) presenting with varying degree of metabolic control and status of diabetic late complications, and were compared with age-matched healthy subjects (n = 70) in a cross-sectional study. Concentrations of cICAM-1 and cVCAM-1 were elevated in IDDM vs. age-matched controls (cICAM-1: 276 +/- 71 vs. 212 +/- 57 ng/mL; P < 0.0001; cVCAM-1: 781 +/- 245 vs. 615 +/- 151 ng/mL; P < 0.0001), whereas cELAM-1 did not differ between the groups (cELAM-1: 50 +/- 25 vs. 46 +/- 23 ng/mL, P = 0.31). The levels of cVCAM-1 were more markedly elevated in IDDM patients with diabetic retinopathy (n = 32) than in those without (n = 38) (cVCAM-1: 848 +/- 281 vs. 724 +/- 197 ng/mL, P < 0.05), as well as in patients with micro- or macroalbuminuria (n = 10) vs. those without (n = 60) (cVCAM-1: 947 +/- 256 ng/mL vs. 753 +/- 234 ng/mL, P < 0.05), whereas no difference in cICAM-1 and cELAM-1 was apparent regarding the clinical status of diabetic microangiopathy. No correlations were found between hemoglobin A1e and cAMs in the individual subgroups of patients and healthy subjects. Interestingly, however, low density lipoprotein cholesterol correlated with cVCAM-1 (r = 0.38, P = 0.03) in IDDM patients with diabetic microangiopathy (n = 33), but not in healthy controls or patients without microangiopathy (n = 37). Analyzing the pooled data of diabetic patients and healthy subjects (n = 140), concentrations of cICAM-1 were markedly related to cVCAM-1 (r = 0.45, P < 0.0001) and cELAM-1 (r = 0.31, P < 0.0002), whereas cVCAM-1 was related less to cELAM-1 (r = 0.19, P = 0.03), respectively. We conclude that, irrespective of actual metabolic control, serum concentrations of cICAM-1 and cVCAM-1 but not cELAM-1 are elevated in patients with IDDM, reflecting ongoing endothelial cell stimulation and leukocyte activation. More specifically, more marked elevation of cVCAM-1 may even hint at clinically manifest diabetic microangiopathy.

The aim of this study was to assess survival and prognostic factors of 98 consecutive patients with unresectable glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) after stereotactic biopsy. Patients were diagnosed between 1993 and 1998, and the treatment modality subsequent to stereotactic biopsy was determined by the year of diagnosis. Before 1995, patients did not receive further specific therapy after stereotactic biopsy (n=36). In 1996, patients were administered radiotherapy starting within 6 weeks after stereotactic biopsy (n=24). From 1997 to 1998, patients received combined radio-/chemotherapy (RCT; CCNU orally) starting within 2 weeks after stereotactic biopsy (n=38). Patients' age ranged from 21 to 84 (median 64) years and their median Karnofsky performance score 2 weeks after stereotactic biopsy was 80 (range 60-100). Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed with respect to administered treatment modalities (without specific therapy versus radiotherapy versus combined RCT), with respect to age (>oror=or<80), tumor location (frontal, parieto-temporal, central, occipital) and tumor size (>or5 cm) by the Kaplan-Meier method, by log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Post-biopsy treatment modality was the strongest predictor for survival. Median (range) survival was 9 (3-47) weeks in those without specific therapy, 13 (5-54) weeks in patients receiving radiotherapy and 31 (11-101) weeks in patients receiving combined RCT (p

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I)are a mainstay for the treatment of heart failure, and of diabetic microalbuminuria. Recently ACE-I have been found to decrease plasma levels of circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (cVCAM-1) in patients with congestive heart failure. As increased cVCAM-1 levels are pathognomonic for diabetics with microangiopathy, we investigated the effects of ACE-I on plasma levels of cVCAM-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (cICAM-1), and cE-selectin in microalbuminuric diabetics. In addition, the effects of ACE-I on plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) were studied. Fosinopril (10 mg/day) was administered over 12 weeks to 11 microalbuminuric patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). As expected, baseline plasma concentrations of cE-selectin, cICAM-1, and cVCAM-1 were markedly higher in patients than in healthy control subjects (n ‫؍‬ ‫؍‬ 82; P < < .001). PAI-1 levels in NIDDM were similar to those in control subjects, whereas TPA levels were about 25% lower in patients than in control subjects (P ‫؍‬ ‫؍‬ .013). Serum levels of cVCAM-1 decreased by ؊ ؊19% (CI: ؊ ؊25% to ؊ ؊13%) after treatment with fosinopril (P ‫؍‬ ‫؍‬ .003) and were no longer different from those of the control group. In contrast, plasma levels of cE-selectin, cICAM-1, PAI-1, and TPA were unaffected. As expected microalbuminuria decreased by ؊ ؊44% (CI: ؊ ؊65 to ؊ ؊22; P ‫؍‬ ‫؍‬ .004). In conclusion, fosinopril lowered cVCAM-1 levels along with microalbuminuria in NIDDM. This may represent a novel mechanism of action of ACE-I in diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction. Whether decreased VCAM-1 expression is responsible for the observed reduction in microalbuminuria, deserves further investigation. Am J Hypertens 1999;12:217-222

The effects of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on the serum levels of the circulating endothelial-leukocyte, intercellular, and vascular adhesion molecules [ELAM-1, ICAM-1 (CD54), and VCAM-1] were evaluated in healthy male volunteers after single im injection of 10 mg E2 valerate. In addition, a time course of the effects of E2 on circulating adhesion molecules (AMs), cortisol serum levels, differential blood counts, and surface expression of the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (CD11a/CD18), CD3, CD4, CD19, and CD25 on leukocytes was studied in another group of volunteers. A 5% decrease in circulating ICAM-1 (P = 0.045 vs. placebo) was found when a single time point (96 h after E2 injection) was studied. However, this decrease was smaller than the intrasubject (day to day) variability observed, and there was no consistent and time-dependent effect of E2 on circulating AMs. Circulating neutrophils increased 2.3-fold over baseline after E2 treatment (P = 0.0008 vs. placebo). The mean coefficients of variation for the intrasubject (day to day) and intersubject variability of circulating AMs were between 5.4-7.5% and 20-29%, respectively. Our findings indicate that the effect of E2 on circulating AMs is not distinguishable from the intrasubject variability observed after placebo treatment. Thus, an effect of E2 on adhesion molecules is unlikely to contribute to the antiatherogenic-cardioprotective effect of E2. The pronounced E2-mediated increase in neutrophils deserves further studies to elucidate its (patho-)physiological implications.

Abstract. The effect of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) or riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ) availability on fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) plasma levels in end-stage renal disease patients is unknown. A cross-sectional study was performed in a population of nonvitamin supplemented patients maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Red blood cell availability of thiamine (␣-ETK) and of riboflavin (␣-EGR), along with other predictors of tHcy plasma levels, was considered in the analysis. There was a linear association of ␣-EGR with tHcy plasma concentrations (P ϭ 0.009), which was not observed for ␣-ETK. Among red blood cell vitamins, ␣-EGR was the only predictor of tHcy levels (P ϭ 0.035), whereas ␣-ETK, red blood cell pyridoxal-5-phosphate supply (␣-EGOT) and red blood cell folate levels had no effect. The risk for having a high tHcy plasma levels within the fourth quartile (plasma tHcy Ͼ38.3 mol/L) was increased by an ␣-EGR Ͼ median (odds ratio, 4.706; 95% confidence interval, 1.124 to 19.704; P ϭ 0.026). By way of contrast, ␣-ETK had no effect in these analyses. Independent predictors of tHcy plasma levels were serum albumin, ␣-EGR, red blood cell folate, and certain MTHFR genotypes. A logistic regression analysis showed that the MTHFR genotype is a predictor for having a tHcy plasma concentration within the fourth quartile. In summary, riboflavin availability, as measured by ␣-EGR, is a determinant of fasting tHcy plasma levels in peritoneal dialysis patients. This finding may have implications for tHcy lowering therapy in individuals with end-stage renal disease.The majority of patients with impaired renal function present elevated total homocysteine (tHcy) plasma levels (1). Established predictors of tHcy plasma levels in the renal failure population include serum albumin and serum creatinine levels, creatinine clearance, folate status, vitamin B 12 and vitamin B 6 levels, as well as genetic variants in enzymes involved in the folate cycle or in the remethylation of homocysteine (2-7). An elevated tHcy plasma level can indicate folate and/or vitamin B 12 deficiency (8) and is associated with a variety of pathologic conditions such as vascular disease (9 -11) or birth defects (12). Although genetic and nongenetic factors have been shown to determine tHcy concentrations of patients with renal insufficiency, the cause of hyperhomocysteinemia among these patients is not completely understood (13).The role of B-group vitamins other than vitamin B 6 or vitamin B 12 as determinants of hyperhomocysteinemia in the general population and in the setting of renal insufficiency is far from clear, although vitamin B 1 (thiamine pyrophosphate) and vitamin B 2 (riboflavin) are involved in the metabolism of methionine and homocysteine.We assumed that thiamine or riboflavin availability is a predictor of fasting tHcy plasma levels in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). To test this hypothesis, we performed a crosssectional study among a population of non-vitamin supplemented patients maintained on continuous ambulatory perito...