Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1, CD54) in colonic epithelial cells

• Published in: Gut 1993-11, Vol.34 (11), p.1593-1597
• Main Authors: Dippold, W, Wittig, B, Schwaeble, W, Mayet, W, Meyer zum Büschenfelde, K H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Cell Adhesion Molecules - analysis; Cell Adhesion Molecules - blood; Colon - chemistry; Colonic Neoplasms - blood; Colonic Neoplasms - chemistry; Epithelium - chemistry; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - blood; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; Intestinal Mucosa - chemistry; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Proteins - blood; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288; 1458-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.34.11.1593

The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54) was examined in 16 surgically removed colonic tumours and two colonic carcinoma cell lines. Immunohistochemistry showed a varying percentage of ICAM-1 positive colonic carcinoma cells in 9/16 tissue specimens, while normal colonic tissue (apart from a slight reactivity of endothelial cells) was not stained. The presence of the ICAM-1 molecule on the cell surface and the expression of ICAM-1 mRNA were investigated for two colonic carcinoma cell lines. It was possible to enhance the expression of ICAM-1 considerably by incubating the cells in the presence of inflammatory cytokines in HT-29 and CaCo-2 cells. The responsiveness to either interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), or interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) treatment was different in each cell line. Interestingly, ICAM-1 is shed by colonic carcinoma cells because soluble sICAM-1 was detected in the cell culture supernatants. In comparison with normal serum samples, the mean value of sICAM-1 in 63 samples of patients with colonic carcinoma and in 20 cases of active inflammatory bowel disease is raised about twofold. It remains to be clarified what part both forms of ICAM-1 play in the course of colonic cancer, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease.