title: Vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor, Flt-1, in the plasma of patients with coronary or peripheral atherosclerosis, or Type II diabetes.
abstract: Since atherosclerosis is characterized by endothelial damage, re-growth seems likely to be occurring in order to repair or replace injured cells. Angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a likely mediator of these events, acts on the endothelium via a specific receptor, Flt-1. We hypothesized that patients with different manifestations of atherosclerosis, and others with diabetes, would have altered plasma levels of VEGF and Flt-1 compared with healthy individuals. Accordingly, 70 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), 70 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. We also recruited 14 patients with diabetes asymptomatic for atherosclerosis, 14 patients with diabetes and atherosclerosis, and 14 age- and sex-matched controls. VEGF and soluble Flt-1 (sFlt-1) were measured by ELISA. In the main study of PAD and CAD, VEGF was raised in both patient groups (P<0.05) compared with the controls, but was not different between the patient groups. sFlt-1 was lower in patients with PAD (P<0.05), but not in those with CAD, compared with the controls. VEGF was raised in the patients with diabetes plus atherosclerosis (P<0.05), but not in the group with diabetes alone; levels of sFlt-1 were unaltered in both diabetes groups. Our data point to changes in plasma levels of VEGF and its receptor sFlt-1 in diabetes and atherosclerosis that may have relevance for therapy and angiogenesis in these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham B18 7QH, U.K.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Blann
authors.forename: Funmi M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Belgore
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: McCollum
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Peck Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lip
authors.forename: Gregory Y H
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lip
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016011:Normal Distribution; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D018401:Sample Size; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor