title: Angiogenesis in acute and chronic leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: Angiogenesis has been associated with the growth, dissemination, and metastasis of solid tumors. The aims of this study were to evaluate the vascularity and the levels of angiogenic factors in patients with acute and chronic leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The numbers of blood vessels were measured in 145 bone marrow biopsies and the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), tumor necrosis growth factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), tumor growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were determined in 417 plasma samples. Except for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), vascularity was significantly higher in all leukemias and MDS compared with control bone marrows. The highest number of blood vessels and largest vascular area were found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). VEGF, bFGF, and HGF plasma levels were significantly increased in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), CML, CLL, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and MDS. HGF, TNF-alpha, and bFGF but not VEGF were significantly increased in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). TNF-alpha levels were significantly increased in all diseases except for AML and MDS. No significant increase was found in TGF-alpha in any leukemia or MDS. The highest plasma levels of VEGF were in CML, and the highest plasma levels of bFGF were in CLL. The levels of HGF were highest in CMML. These data suggest that vascularity and angiogenic factors are increased in leukemias and MDS and may play a role in the leukemogenic process.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Leukemia, Hematopathology, and Bioimmunotherapy, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4095, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguayo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manshouri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gidel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estey
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Estrov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freireich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albitar
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor