Association of ICAM-1 K469E polymorphism with neurocysticercosis

• Some infected individuals develop symptom and other remains symptom free.
• ICAM-1 plays an important role in recruitment of immune cells in CNS.
• Mutation in ICAM-1 gene affects its interaction to immune cells.
• The subjects with EE genotype were more susceptible to NCC.
• Further the subjects with EE genotype had elevated ICAM-1.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), a central nervous system (CNS) disease is caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. The disease is heterogeneous in clinical presentation; some infected individuals develop symptoms and others may remain symptom free. Impaired blood brain barrier allows recruitment of immune cells in the CNS during infection and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) plays an important role in the recruitment of immune cells. We studied ICAM-1 K469E polymorphism among symptomatic and asymptomatic NCC patients. The study revealed that individuals with variant (EE) genotype were more susceptible to symptomatic NCC and also had an elevated level of sICAM-1.

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