It seemed likely that the expression of ICAM-1 on isolated
To the Editor:
hepatocytes resulted from the advent on the cell surface of antigen sites of ICAM-1, which has been masked by cell-to-In a 1995 issue of HEPATOLOGY, van Oosten et al. reported cell contact in the liver, possibly, as a consequence of conforon the quantitative expression of vascular adhesion moleculemational changes of ICAM-1 protein in the plasma mem-1 and of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on liver brane during dissociation procedure. Recently, Loyer et al. parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells that were isolated reported that hepatocytes at the G0/G1 transition and followfrom rats given lipopolysaccharide using labeled antibodies. 1 ing cell-to-cell contact disruption expressed several early Their observations regarding ICAM-1 expression were as folgenes. 5 This possibility should be also considered. lows: 1) hepatocytes, as well as nonparenchymal cells, However, we feel that it may be necessary to check the showed a basal expression of ICAM-1, although the expresupregulation of ICAM-1 expression on liver cells, especially sion on sinusoidal endothelial cells in untreated rats was two on hepatocytes, with liver tissue specimens of lipopolysacchatimes higher than that on hepatocytes and Kupffer cells; and ride-treated rats before the authors concluded the signifi-2) stimulation with lipopolysaccharide increased the exprescance of adhesion molecule expression in the development of sion of ICAM-1 2.5 times for hepatocytes and approximately liver injury during septic shock. 4 times for endothelial cells and Kupffer cells.
The authors concluded that such upregulation of ICAM-1 expression on hepatocytes following lipopolysaccharide ad-SATOSHI MOCHIDA, M.D., Ph.D. Third Department of Internal Medicine ministration may be a contributing factor to the influx of leukocytes and the liver tissue damage during septic shock.
Saitama Medical School Saitama, Japan The observations are interesting, but we are concerned about the conclusions drawn by them, because adhesion molecule expression on isolated rat liver cells may not always reflect AKIHIKO OHNO, M.D. Third Department of Internal Medicine, the in vivo state.
Recently, we demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide admin-