title: Ratio of serum vascular endothelial growth factor to platelet count correlates with disease activity in a patient with POEMS syndrome.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrine disorder, M-protein, and skin lesion) syndrome. Because platelets have recently been recognized as transporters of VEGF, enhanced blood coagulation activity in this syndrome may accelerate vasopermeability by releasing VEGF from platelets in vivo. Here we report a case of POEMS syndrome with anasarca showing a high ratio of serum VEGF to platelet count, indicative of massive VEGF release from aggregated platelets in vivo. Changes in the ratio clearly reflected disease activity. This observation suggests that the ratio of serum VEGF to platelet count is more precise in monitoring disease activity than serum VEGF alone, and that VEGF released in vivo is critically involved in the pathogenesis of POEMS syndrome, causing hypervasopermeability.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, 830-0011, Kurume, Japan
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisamoto
authors.forename: Kodo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sujaku
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsuyama
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Takato
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata