Intercellular adhesion molecule
From Freepedia
Intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) are molecules that promote adhesion between cells. Examples include adhesion from most white blood cells, related to their immunological response to wound or bacterial infection.
During the acute stages of inflammation, homeostasis is altered, resulting in the cytokine stimulated release of ICAMs which promote leukocyte adherence to the endothelium. The CAMs are involved with leukocyte adhesion at relatively low shear forces and they cause a stronger attachment than selectin molecules.
There are several different forms of ICAM. ICAM-1 is continuously present in low concentrations in the membranes of leukocytes and endothelial cells. Upon cytokine stimulation, the concentrations greatly increase. ICAM-1 can be induced by interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and is expressed by the vascular endothelium, macrophages and lymphocytes.
ICAM-1 has been implicated in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Levels of ICAM-1 are shown to be significantly elevated in patients with SAH over control subjects in many studies. While ICAM-1 has not been shown to be directly correlated with cerebral vasospasm, a secondary insult which affects 70% of SAH patients, treatment with anti-ICAM-1 reduced the severity of vasospasm.
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References
- Dumont AS, Dumont RJ, Chow MM, Lin C, Calisaneller T, Ley KF, Kassel NF, Lee KS: Cerebral Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Putative Role of Inflammation. Neurosurgery 53:123-135,2003.
- Frijns CJM, Kappelle LJ: Inflammatory Cell Adhesion Molecules in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease. Stroke 33:2115-2122,2002.
- Polin RS, Bavbek M, Shaffrey ME, Billups K, Bogaev CA, Kassell NF, Lee KS: Detection of soluble E-selectin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and L-selectin in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Journal of Neurosurgery 89:559-567,1998.
