Serum levels and differential expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in childhood leukemia and malignant lymphoma: prognostic importance and relationship with survival.

Serum levels and leukemic cell-tumor tissue expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1/CD 54) were detected in 54 children with acute leukemia and malignant lymphoma. Serum samples were obtained from all patients before treatment and after cessation of the therapy from malignant lymphoma cases and during remission from leukemic patients. Twelve age-matched healthy children were included as a control group. The serum ICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or Hodgkin's disease (HD) than those in the control group (median values: 350.9, 286.4, and 138.4 ng/mL, respectively; P < .01 in each comparison). However, there were no significant differences concerning serum ICAM-1 levels between the control group and each of the acute myeloid leukemia (AML), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) case groups (median values: 235.7, 222.7, 195.9, and 138.4 ng/mL, respectively; P > .05 in each comparison). Moreover, serum soluble ICAM-1 levels significantly declined in ALL or HD patients who were in complete remission (median values: 185.0 and 145.4 ng/mL, respectively; P < .05 in each comparison). In HD patients high levels of serum ICAM-1 could be correlated with high ESR (P < .01), whereas no statistically significant difference could be found when serum ICAM-1 titers were compared with stages, B symptoms, and histological subgroups, probably because of the inadequate number of patients in each group. Expression of ICAM-1 was mainly attributed to lymphocytes, vessels, and weakly to Hodgkin's cells, and this was significantly high in patients who were in advanced stages of disease. High serum sICAM-1 level was also associated with poor outcome and survival. Determination of serum level and/or tumor tissue expression of ICAM-1 in HD and ALL might represent an additional, but probably not independent, disease-associated marker to be used in the evaluation and/or monitoring of treatment response in patients with HD and ALL.