Surgery for gastric cancer increases plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and von Willebrand factor.
BACKGROUND
Angiogenesis and hemostatic activation are important factors in tumor progression and metastasis. Because surgical intervention induces tissue hypoxia and hemostatic activation, we analyzed the effect of gastric surgery on the plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin), and von Willebrand factor (vWf).


METHODS
Plasma VEGF, sP-selectin, and vWf concentrations were measured in 14 patients with gastric cancer before operation and on postoperative day 1 (POD 1). Correlations between disease stage and the effect of surgical intervention were analyzed.


RESULTS
The plasma concentrations of these three factors did not correlate with the disease stage. Plasma levels of sP-selectin did not change after operation (before surgery, 87.6 +/- 34.1 ng/ml; on POD 1, 101.1 +/- 48.1 ng/ml; P = 0.123). Plasma VEGF and vWf concentrations were significantly elevated on POD 1 (VEGF, 33.3 +/- 20.5 pg/ml before surgery and 61.9 +/- 35.6 pg/ml on POD 1; P = 0.0013; vWf, 164 +/- 31.1% before surgery and 211.1 +/- 66.1% on POD 1; P = 0.027).


CONCLUSIONS
Because VEGF and vWf are involved in angiogenesis, tumor-platelet adhesion, and tumor-endothelial cell adhesion, surgical intervention could influence tumor growth and metastasis.
Ikeda
Masataka
M
Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology (E2), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Furukawa
Hiroshi
H
Imamura
Hiroshi
H
Shimizu
Jyunzo
J
Ishida
Hideyuki
H
Masutani
Seizo
S
Tatsuta
Masayuki
M
Kawasaki
Takatoshi
T
Satomi
Takashi
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D007564:Japan; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D019007:P-Selectin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor