Peripheral blood platelets express VEGF-C and VEGF which are released during platelet activation.
VEGF-C is a recently characterised endothelial growth factor structurally related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We studied the expression of VEGF-C and VEGF in the cells of peripheral blood and in the umbilical cord blood CD 34+ cells, representing haematopoietic progenitor cells. Expression of VEGF-C was detected in the CD34+ cells. In peripheral blood VEGF-C mRNA was restricted to platelets and T-cells. In contrast to the expression pattern of VEGF-C, VEGF mRNA was detected in all peripheral blood cell fractions studied, and also in CD34+ cells. VEGF-C mRNA was also detected in fresh bone marrow samples of acute leukaemia patients, but the expression did not show lineage specificity. VEGF-C and VEGF polypeptides were present in platelets and they were released from activated platelets together with the release of beta-thromboglobulin, suggesting that VEGF-C and VEGF reside in the alpha-granules of platelets. VEGF-C and VEGF, released from activated platelets, may have a role in angiogenesis during wound healing, and possibly also in other pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis, tumour growth, and metastasis formation.
Wartiovaara
U
U
Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Salven
P
P
Mikkola
H
H
Lassila
R
R
Kaukonen
J
J
Joukov
V
V
Orpana
A
A
Ristimäki
A
A
Heikinheimo
M
M
Joensuu
H
H
Alitalo
K
K
Palotie
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015539:Platelet Activation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors