Serum Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 and Endothelial Dysfunction in Hepatic Cirrhosis: Searching for New Prognostic Markers

Abstract

Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in the development of liver cirrhosis. Among the biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, the soluble form of Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (sVAP-1) is an unconventional and less known adhesion molecule endowed also with amine oxidase activity. The aim of this study was to explore and correlate the behavior of sVAP-1 with that of the soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and with the severity of liver cirrhosis. A cross-sectional study was carried out by enrolling 28 controls, 59 cirrhotic patients without hepatocellular carcinoma, and 56 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), mainly caused by alcohol abuse. The levels of adhesion molecules and of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-αα) were determined by immunoassay and the enzymatic activity of sVAP-1 by a fluorometric assay. In non-diabetic patients without HCC, a specific behavior of sVAP-1 was highlighted. Differently from sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, and cytokines, the sVAP-1 level was significantly increased only in the early stage of disease, and then, it decreased in the last stage (866 ± 390 ng/mL vs. 545 ± 316 ng/mL, in Child–Pugh class A vs. C, respectively, p < 0.05). Bivariate analysis correlates sVAP-1 to sVCAM-1, in the absence of HCC (Spearman’s rho = 0.403, p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that sVCAM-1 appears to be a predictor of sVAP-1 (β coefficient = 0.374, p = 0.021). In conclusion, in non-diabetic and non-HCC cirrhotic patients, sVAP-1 may be a potential prognostic biomarker that, together with sVCAM-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, may provide information on the progression of sinusoidal liver endothelium damage.