title: Circulating numbers of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with gastric and breast cancer.
abstract: Angiogenic factors like VEGF or G-CSF were reported to mobilize endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the bone marrow. These EPCs were shown to be incorporated in the neovessels of developing tumors. Although the concentrations of angiogenic factors in the peripheral blood were reported to be elevated in cancer patients, the number of circulating EPCs has not been previously investigated. In this study, the number of EPCs circulating in the blood in 16 healthy controls and 71 newly diagnosed cancer patients was examined by a culture assay of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The number of circulating EPCs was not found to be increased in cancer patients, although the plasma levels of VEGF were elevated. It is suggested that VEGF, at concentrations typical of those observed in the blood of cancer patients, does not mobilize EPCs into the peripheral blood.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea. lukekhk@ncc.re.kr
authors.forename: Hyun Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyun Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jun-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyoung Rhan
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Sook
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hark Kyun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Keun Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jae-Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D023461:Myeloid Progenitor Cells; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors