title: Cladribine decreases the level of angiogenic factors in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: We investigated the serum concentration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a group of 18 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, before and after a successful treatment with cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, 2-CdA) and 16 healthy volunteers. The serum level of bFGF was found to be significantly lower in the control group (median 0.15 pg/ml, range 0.0-15.7 pg/ml), when compared to the untreated CLL patients (median 41.4 pg/ml, range 2.1-292.6 pg/ml) (p=0.0002). After a successful 2-CdA treatment we observed a significantly lower level of this cytokine (median 10.55 pg/ml, range 0.4-140.4 pg/ml) (p=0.0019) in the same patients. However, the level of bFGF in this group was still higher than in the control group (p=0.003). The levels of TGFbeta1 were higher in the group of untreated CLL patients (median 31.36 ng/ml, range 14.36-75.71 ng/ml) than in the control group (median 28.35 ng/ml, range 10.85-70.10 ng/ml) (p=0.029). After the 2-CdA treatment serum concentration of this cytokine decreased significantly (median 20.34 ng/ml, range 3.02-43.85 ng/ml) (p=0.031) with similar levels present to that of the healthy control group (p=0.3). In conclusion, we have shown that the serum concentration of bFGF and TGFbeta1 in CLL patients were significantly reduced after 2-CdA chemotherapy that resulted in remission. The level of these factors might correlate with the activity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology; Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, 93-513 Poland. robaktad@csk.am.lodz.pl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gora-Tybor
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Blonski
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Robak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000097:blood*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017338:Cladribine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D017338:Cladribine