Elevated serum soluble vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) in patients with active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is an endothelial cell molecule which controls leukocyte infiltration into tissues. Elevated serum soluble VAP-1-levels have been described in certain diseases with an inflammatory component. VAP-1 expression or function has not previously been studied in multiple sclerosis (MS). We report here that the concentration of soluble VAP-1 in serum is significantly higher in multiple sclerosis patients with ongoing inflammatory activity, as demonstrated by gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions, when compared to patients with no gadolinium-enhancing lesions (555 ± 195 vs. 388 ± 102 ng/ml, p = 0.0068). We propose that VAP-1 might participate in controlling leukocyte entry into inflamed brain.