Role of intracellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis

Background: Toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis is the most common cause of posterior uveitis (intraocular inflammatory syndrome) in immunocompetent patients. Leucocytes- endothelial adhesion is an early step in many inflammatory disorders that mediated by endothelial cell adhesion molecules. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was reported to be upregulated in retinal inflammatory diseases. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the frequency of T. gondii infection among patients presented with retinal inflammatory lesions and also, determine whether the ICAM-1 implicated in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis. Methods: Forty four patients with retinal inflammatory lesions, 44 healthy controls without any ocular manifestation were subjected to determine anti- Toxoplasma IgG antibodies seropositivity and sICAM-1 serum level using the commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Our results showed that the frequancy of anti- Toxoplasma IgG antibodies among ocular group (59.1%) was high statistically significant than that in healthy controls group (18.2%). Regarding the level of the sICAM-1 in ocular Toxo positive subgroup, there was significantly higher level compared to ocular Toxo negative subgroup and healthy controls Toxo positive subgroup. Also, it was significantly higher than healthy controls Toxo negative subgroup. Concerning the healthy controls group, there was significantly higher level of sICAM-1 in Toxo positive subgroup compared to Toxo negative subgroup. Conclusion: our findings suggested that ICAM-1 expression might be implicated in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis whereas sICAM-1 could be a good marker reflecting disease severity.