title: Vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels are elevated in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic angiodysplasia affecting multiple organs. Two genes involved in the transduction of TGF-beta signalling are responsible for HHT. An additional role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been proposed. Serum VEGF, which has been evaluated in several diseases characterized by aberrant angiogenesis, has never been measured in patients with HHT.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate VEGF serum levels in HHT patients as compared to normal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  32 HHT patients (age 47.7 +/- 16.7 years) and a control group of 37 healthy subjects (age 48.2 +/- 15.5 years) were entered in the study. Each patient underwent serum VEGF dosage using a commercial ELISA specific for the human molecule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum level of VEGF in HHT patients was 196.3 +/- 103.2 pg/ml, while it was 152.0 +/- 84.1 pg/ml in the control group. Statistical analysis showed that serum VEGF was significantly higher in HHT patients than in the controls (p < 0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to a study performed in a murine model, persistence of the activation phase of angiogenesis might be responsible for an increased production of several angiogenic factors, in particular VEGF, in HHT. Our work is the first to suggest an increased expression of VEGF in the serum of subjects with HHT in agreement with the stimulation of VEGF synthesis proposed in the murine model.
authors.affiliation: DIMIMP, Cattedra di Medicina d'Urgenza e Pronto Soccorso, Bari, Italia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cirulli
authors.forename: Arcangelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liso
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Ovidio
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mestice
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasculli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallitelli
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Giorgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sabbà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013683:Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors