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Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) has been reported as a T-cell, B-cell or macrophage/monocyte activation antigen. We investigated whether soluble ICAM-1 levels in serum increased during the acute stage in 11 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM). Serum ICAM-1 levels were measured by a double determinant immunoassay using 2 monoclonal antibodies in the FAST system. Serum ICAM-1 levels in patients with IM increased during the acute stage. There was a positive correlation between serum ICAM-1 levels and absolute counts of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our results suggest that the elevated serum ICAM-1 levels are based on the increased counts of activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and that ICAM-1 is a part of the regulatory system of immune reactions during acute IM.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile illness of early childhood. Although the epidemiology of KD suggests an infectious agent, the cause still remains unknown. Intense immune activation during the acute disease has been well documented. Quantitative determination of soluble CD23 in serum can serve as an index of macrophage/monocyte or B-cell activation. To further characterize the immunological profile in KD, we investigated whether soluble CD23 levels in serum increase during the acute disease. In addition, we compared soluble CD23 levels in 33 patients with acute KD with levels in ten patients each with measles, rubella, infectious mononucleosis, and scarlet fever to determine if marked elevations in soluble CD23 were unique to acute KD. Patients with KD, rubella and infectious mononucleosis, but not patients with measles or scarlet fever, had increased soluble CD23 levels in serum during the acute stage, as compared to age-matched control subjects (P < 0.01). These data suggest infection with Epstein-Barr virus and rubella and acute KD are all characterized by B-cell and macrophage/monocyte activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]