Influence of treatments on cell adhesion molecules in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: a review

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are autoimmune diseases characterized by changes in cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Objective To review the influence of the main drugs used in the treatment of SLE and RA on CAM levels. Methods A bibliographic search was performed using electronic databases. The research included human studies, in vivo or in vitro, with an experimental or observational design, and with no limit of publication date or number of subjects. Animal studies and non-standard treatments were not considered. Results We included 21 studies, 3 on SLE and 18 on RA with monotherapy or combined trials. The most used drugs were cyclophosphamide (CY, in 2 studies) and methylprednisolone pulse (pMP, n = 2) in SLE; and methotrexate (MTX, n = 9) and infliximab (IFX, n = 4) in RA. In addition, the most frequently examined CAMs to predict response to treatment were vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, n = 2) in SLE, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, n = 12), VCAM-1 (n = 12), and E-selectin (n = 14) in RA. After treatment, CAM levels were decreased in SLE and RA patients with active disease. Conclusions It is concluded that the CAM biomarkers may reflect disease activity and the response to treatment in SLE and RA patients.