E-selectin, also known as CD62 antigen-like family member E (CD62E), endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1), or leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion molecule 2 (LECAM2), is a 115 kDa glycoprotein expressed only after activation by inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β or TNF-α) or endotoxins on endothelial cells. Cell-surface E-Selectin plays a key role in localized inflammatory response by mediating the rolling attachment of leukocytes to the endothelium, which is an essential step in extravasation of leukocytes at the site of inflammation. The extracellular part of E-Selectin includes a calcium-dependent C2-type lectin domain, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) domain, and six repeats of a complement-regulatoryprotein- like sequence. Soluble E-Selectin (sE-Selectin) is found in the blood of healthy individuals, probably arising from proteolytic cleavage of the surface-expressed molecule.
Monitoring of sE-Selectin levels in serum provides more detailed insights in several pathological situations such as cancer, infectious diseases, diabetes and sepsis.