Angiogenesis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: methods of study, clinical significance and prognostic implications.
Recent studies indicate that angiogenesis may be involved in the pathogenesis of certain hematological malignancies. However as far as B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is concerned, current data dealing with the evaluation of bone marrow (BM) microvessel density, a marker of angiogenesis grade, do not as yet provide definitive results. It is now clear that the mRNA isoforms VEGF121 and VEGF 165 are expressed by B-CLL cells. In addition, low cellular and high serum levels of VEGF correlated with a poor clinical outcome. Although these data do not as yet show that angiogenesis is essential for B-CLL, it may indeed be relevant in the leukemic process so characteristic of this diseases.
Molica
S
S
Department Hematology/Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Pugliese-Ciaccio, Catanzaro, Italy. smolica@libero.it
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors