Angiogenic factors in moyamoya disease.
OBJECTIVE
We previously reported that the level of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is high in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) taken from patients with moyamoya disease. The present study investigated the levels of other angiogenic growth factors in the CSF of moyamoya patients and the clinical significance of bFGF in moyamoya disease.


METHODS
The levels of bFGF, interleukin-8, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, endothelial growth factor, and vascular endothelial cell growth factor in CSF, taken from 38 patients with moyamoya disease and 16 patients with atherosclerotic occlusive disease (control group), were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We analyzed the correlation between the level of bFGF and the clinical factors of age, onset pattern, development of neovascularization, and cerebral circulation.


RESULTS
The CSF of moyamoya patients contained a high concentration of bFGF to a significant (P < .05) extent. The bFGF level was apparently elevated in the patients in whom neovascularization from indirect revascularization, such as encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis, was well developed (P < .01). A linear correlation between the values of bFGF and cerebral vascular response to acetazolamide (r = .7; P < .05) was revealed. The other angiogenic factors were not significantly high compared with the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The elevation of bFGF in moyamoya disease seems to be specific and is not related simply to cerebral ischemia. Clinically, the bFGF level is a useful indicator to predict the efficacy of indirect revascularization after surgery.
Yoshimoto
T
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Houkin
K
K
Takahashi
A
A
Abe
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002455:Cell Division; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009072:Moyamoya Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*
D006133:Growth Substances; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2