IL-2R AND ICAM-1 Plasma Levels In Spinal Cord Injuries

الملخص EN

Objectives: To measure circulating levels of IL-2R and ICAM-1 in SCI, being mediators of immune response, inflammatory processes and tissue remodeling involving the skin and other organs.

Activation of this immune effectors and their accumulation in tissues can be associated with pathological changes or healing, and elevated plasma concentration can directly reflect the magnitude of immune activation.

Materials: Fifty male patients with long-standing spinal cord injuries (SCI), were included in this study, Twenty patients had pressure “decubitus” ulcers.

The mean age was 42 ? 9.1 range 22 to 65 years, and duration of SCI ranged between 1.5 to 18 years.

The level of injury varied from C5 to L5.

The control group consisted of 18 healthy volunteers 5 females and 13 males with age range 28 to 52, mean 40?8.2 years.

Exclusion criteria were liver disease, renal insufficiency, immunologic disorders and acute intercurrent illness.

Methods: IL-2R and ICAM-1 plasma level were measured using an enzyme- linked immuno-sorbent technique (ELIZA).

The patients with pressure ulcers had the same treatment and were divided into 2 subgroups according to the rate of healing of their ulcers, the fast healers ? 5 weeks and the slow healers > 5 weeks.

Results: IL-2R and ICAM-1 were significantly elevated in all patients with SCI as compared to volunteers.

The greatest increase was seen in those patients with pressure ulcers who demonstrated slow healing of their ulcers.

Conclusions: patients with SCI with pressure ulcers have elevated plasma IL-2R and ICAM-1, which may have diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value in predicting or differentiating subgroups of patients who will vary in the severity or the rate of healing of their ulcers.