Cellular adhesion molecules and blood pressure: interaction with sex in a multi-ethnic population

Objective To clarify the association between blood pressure and four different adhesion molecules, adjusting for potential confounders, in men and women from different ethnic origins. Design and Methods The soluble (s) plasma adhesion molecules sP-selectin, sE-selectin, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured in 261 white (120 women), 188 African origin (99 women) and 215 South Asian (99 women) individuals living in England. All were free from coronary heart disease, stroke, other cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and were not receiving drug treatment for hypertension or high lipids, hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives. Results After adjustment for age, only sE-selecti