Research advances of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 in IgA nephropathy

As a 90 kDa member of immunoglobulin superfamily in adhesion molecules, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) is the most widely studied of five ICAM molecules. It is constitutively expressed on the surfaces of such a large variety of cells as endothelial cells, epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and most leucocyte subgroups, including lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages. It participates in various physiological pathological processes of cell signal transduction and activation, cell tissue growth and differentiation, immune response, inflammatory response, angiogenesis and tumor metastasis. Both domestic and foreign studies have detected an up-regulation of ICAM-1 in endotropic cells and foot cells of IgA nephropathy(IgAN). This review focused upon the role of ICAM-1 to boost its public awareness and provided new parameters for the diagnosis, progress and prognosis of IgAN.