title: Surgery for gastric cancer increases plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and von Willebrand factor.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology (E2), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Jyunzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Seizo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masutani
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatsuta
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satomi
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: 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