title: Effects of high-altitude exposure on vascular endothelial growth factor levels in man.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an endothelial cell mitogen and permeability factor that is inducible by hypoxia. Its contribution to high-altitude illness in man is unknown. We measured VEGF levels in 14 mountaineers at low altitude (490 m) and 24 h after their arrival at high altitude (4,559 m). At high altitude, VEGF increased from [mean (SEM)] 32.5 (9.2) to 60.9 (18.5) pg.ml(-1) (P < 0.004) in the arterial blood, and from 15.9 (2.9) to 49.3 (15.9) pg.ml(-1) (P= 0.0001) in the mixed venous blood. Whereas at low altitude venous and arterial VEGF levels were not statistically different from each other (P= 0.065), the VEGF concentration was significantly lower in venous than in arterial blood samples at high altitude (P=0.004). The pulmonary capillary VEGF concentration remained unchanged at high altitude [14.8 (2.5) vs 17.1 (5.4) pg.ml(-1), P=0.85]. VEGF levels in the nine mountaineers who developed symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS), and in the six subjects who had radiographic evidence of high-altitude pulmonary edema were similar to those in subjects without symptoms. VEGF was not correlated with either AMS scores, mean pulmonary arterial pressures, arterial partial pressure of O2, or alveolar-arterial O2 gradients. We conclude that VEGF release is stimulated at high altitude, but that VEGF is probably not related to high-altitude illness.
authors.affiliation: Department Innere Medizin, Kantonsspital, Chur, Switzerland. roland.walter@dim.usz.ch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maggiorini
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Contesse
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Reinhart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000502:physiology*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; 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