The expression of adhesion molecules in muscle biopsies : the LFA-1/VLA-4 ratio in polymyositis

• Objectives– The expression of three pairs of adhesion receptors and ligands was examined in 22 consecutive muscle biopsies showing morphological signs of inflammation.Material and methods– The following groups were studied: patients with polymyositis (PM) (n=7), patients with myositis that did not fulfil criteria for PM, i.e. suspected PM (n=5), patients with other diseases, with no clinical signs of inflammatory myopathy (n=6), and a small group of non-PM inflammatory myopathies (n=4). The endothelial expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin was evaluated, as was the cellular expression of LFA-1, VLA-4 and SLex. In addition, the expression of MHC class I and II was studied.Results– The ratio between the number of cells expressing LFA-1 and VLA-4 showed significant differences between the groups, with the lowest values in PM.Conclusion– The LFA-1/VLA-4 ratio should be suitable for diagnostic purposes. Our findings also indicate that the VLA-4/VCAM-1 system is important for chronic T cell inflammation in muscle, in line with findings in other “hidden” organs like joints and the central nervous system.

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