Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and total sialic acid in serum of patients with laryngeal cancer

Background: Adhesion molecules have been implicated in tumor progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and total sialic acid (TSA) levels in laryngeal carcinoma and correlate their levels with the cancer stage. Method: The sera from 35 patients with laryngeal cancer (10 at stage II, 12 at stage III and 13 at stage IV) were extracted before treatment. The concentrations of sICAM-1 and TSA were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay and the thiobarbituric acid method, respectively and compared with those from a healthy control group (n = 34). Results: Mean serum sICAM-1 and TSA levels were found to be higher in the total patient group (the lowest level belonging to stage 11) than in the control group (p < 0.001, control versus total patient group). As the stage of the disease increased, higher levels of sICAM-1 and TSA were determined. The correlations between TSA and sICAM-1 became more significant as the stage of the disease increased (r = 0.67, p < 0.05 in stage II, r = 0.86, p < 0.001 in stage 111 and r = 0.90, p < 0.001 in stage IV). Conclusion: These data reveal that the significant correlations between sICAM-1 and TSA in laryngeal cancer, more prominent at advanced stage, might reflect the similar nature of these molecules, which function as adhesion molecules.