Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) were measured in 930 serum samples of 256 patients with histologically proven malignant melanoma and 78 serum samples of 78 controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seventy-seven patients were stage Ia, 79 stage Ib, 59 stage IIa, 30 stage IIb, 13 stage IIIb, and 7 stage IV according to the German Society of Dermatology (DDG) classification. We calculated the normal range (mean +/- SD) for sICAM-1 (71.3-257.3 ng/ml; mean 163.3 ng/ml) and CuZnSOD (34.8-175.6 ng/ml, mean 105.2 ng/ml). The serum levels of sICAM-1 were significantly higher in all stages of melanoma than in controls (p<0.00005). Additionally, significant differences were observed between different stages of melanoma (Ia and Ib vs IIa/IIb/IIb/IV, IIa and b vs IV). The mean levels of sICAM-1 in melanoma were lowest in stage I (Ia: 257.25 ng/ ml, Ib: 252.47 ng/ml) and highest in stage IV (394.24 ng/ml). Significant differences in CuZnSOD levels were not detected between melanoma patients and controls, neither between melanoma patients of different stages. A decrease of CuZnSOD was found in only 37 samples of melanoma patients independent of the clinical stage. Our results demonstrate a relationship of increased sICAM-1 levels to melanoma and disease progression. We conclude that sICAM-1, but not CuZnSOD, is useful in monitoring of patients with malignant melanoma and might be beneficial in evaluation of therapeutic efficacy.

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