Cell adhesion molecules gene expression in human cardiac transplantation

The cell adhesion molecules are identified as the mediator for leukocytes migration to the allograft parenchyma and expressed on the surface of endothelia cells. A number of studies have shown that the cell adhesion molecule protein expression was up-regulated by the cytokines during the allograft rejection. The CAM gene expression has not been defined. In the present study, we investigated cell adhesion molecules: ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin gene expression in endomyocardial biopsy specimens from cardiac transplant recipients. The quantitative competitive PCR was used to detect gene expression at mRNA level. The mRNA concentration in each biopsy was measured and normalized to GAPDH concentration. In the CAM gene expression study, biopsies were grouped into 3 groups according to ISHLT grade 0, 1A/1B and 3A. We found that ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 gene expression in groups with grade 1A/1B and 3A was significantly increased compared with the group with grade 0. The E-selectin gene expression was not significant increased among the groups. The ICAM-1 gene expression was correlated with VCAM-1 gene expression in 3 groups. In the time course study, grade 1A/1B biopsies were grouped according to the time points related to the subsequent 3A rejection. The group without subsequent 3A and the groups with 3 weeks prior to 3A, 2 weeks prior to 3A and 1 week prior to 3A were studied. The gene expression levels in the groups related to 3A were compared with the group without 3A. We found that VCAM-1 gene expression was increased at least 3 weeks before the subsequent 3A. VCAM-1 gene expression reached the peak at 2 weeks prior to 3A rejection episode and decreased when 3A rejection occurred. ICAM-1 gene expression did not show significant difference between groups related to 3A and group without 3A.;We concluded that (1) the competitive PCR is sensitive to quantify the rare gene expression in small tissue samples. (2) ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 gene expression was up-regulated during rejection. (3) VCAM-1 gene expression may be useful in predicting 3A rejection as a marker for early interventions or reduce biopsy frequency.