BACKGROUND: Inflammation has been postulated to play an important rolein atherosclerosis development. Recently, research in this field has been focused on the role of modifiedlipoproteins, primarily oxidized low density lipoprotein. Adhesion and transendothelial migration ofcirculating leukocytes, by the action of cell-adhesion molecules, seem to be critical steps in earlyatherogenesis. Previous in vitro studies on the relationship between ox-LDL and the expression of cell-adhesionmolecules on endothelial cells have shown diverging results. Furthermore, there are as yet no reportson the relationship between circulating ox-LDL and cell-adhesion molecules in vivo. MATERIAL/METHODS:The relationship between circulating ox-LDL and adhesion molecules was measured by ELISA in clinicallyhealthy, 58-year-old men recruited from the general population (n=391). RESULTS: The results of the presentstudy showed that circulating ox-LDL was associated with sICAM-1 and sE-selectin, but not with sVCAM-1.After adjustment for other risk factors, i.e. systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, apoB, apoA1 andsmoking, the observed relationships between ox-LDL and sICAM-1 and sE-selectin, respectively, remainedstatistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The observed results fit into the concept that oxidatively modifiedLDL may regulate the increased expression of cell-adhesion molecules on endothelial cells in vivo. Theseobservations were made in a population-based sample of clinically healthy, middle-aged Caucasian men.Since this was a cross-sectional study no conclusions can be drawn on causality.

Keywords: Cell Adhesion, Cross-Sectional Studies, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Lipoproteins, LDL, Regression Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov