Significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I levels and nitric oxide activity in breast cancer patients.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is used to evaluate the angiogenic activity in breast carcinoma. Nitric oxide (NO) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are also implicated in breast tumorigenesis, including angiogenesis. We measured serum VEGF, IGF-I and nitrate+nitrite levels in 38 patients with metastatic and 23 with nonmetastatic breast cancer and in 16 controls. Serum VEGF and IGF-I levels were higher in patients with metastatic disease than in those with nonmetastatic disease or in controls (P<0.001). Serum nitrate+nitrite levels were higher in patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic disease than in controls (P<0.001). Patients with visceral metastasis and local metastasis had higher serum VEGF and nitrate+nitrite levels than patients with bone metastasis (P<0.05). In the metastatic disease group, there was a positive correlation between serum VEGF levels and nitrate+nitrite levels (r=0.436, P<0.05). Within the group with nonmetastatic disease, premenopausal patients had higher serum IGF-I levels than did postmenopausal patients (P<0.001). NO may involve an angiogenic process that is stimulated by VEGF in breast carcinoma. Larger studies are required to clarify these suggestions.
Coşkun
Ugur
U
Department of Medical Oncology, Gazi University Medical School, Turkey. ugurcos@hotmail.com
Günel
Nazan
N
Sancak
Banu
B
Günel
Ugur
U
Onuk
Erhan
E
Bayram
Orhan
O
Yílmaz
Erdal
E
Candan
Sakine
S
Ozkan
Secil
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014421:Turkey
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I