Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 64) and control subjects (n = 40) were studied. Serum ICAM-1 concentrations in diabetic patients were significantly higher than those of control subjects (378.2 +/- 70.0 versus 220.4 +/- 31.8 ng/ml, P < 0.01). By multiple regression analysis, hemoglobin A1c was independently associated with serum ICAM-1 concentration in patients with diabetes. The serum VCAM-1 concentration of diabetic patients with macroangiopathy was higher than those of patients without macroangiopathy and of control subjects (806.9 + 276.5 versus 639.0 +/- 146.0 (P < 0.01), and 652.1 +/- 146.9 ng/ml (P < 0.01), respectively). There was no difference in serum E-selectin concentration between diabetic patients with or without macroangiopathy and normal control subjects. These results suggest that adhesion molecules may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in the diabetic state.