Vascular endothelial growth factor serum level is strongly enhanced after burn injury and correlated with local and general tissue edema.
BACKGROUND
Burn associated local and general tissue edema is induced by local cell destruction and capillary leak syndrome. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) strongly enhances vascular permeability as well as angiogenesis. The principal aim of this study was to investigate the systemic release of VEGF and its kinetics after severe burn injury in humans.


METHODS
Thirty-six burn patients and 42 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Circulating VEGF serum levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35. Burn surface, tissue edema, complications and outcome were evaluated.


RESULTS
VEGF serum levels were significantly increased after burn injuries immediately after injury until wound closure. VEGF levels reached their maximum at day 14 and were 22-fold increased compared to VEGF levels of healthy controls. After wound closure VEGF levels normalized. Local and general tissue edema disappeared after VEGF serum level normalization.


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF serum levels are immediately enhanced after burn trauma until wound closure. At the same time, a local and general tissue edema was detected. We may speculate, that specific blockers of VEGF may have beneficial effects on edema and edema-related complications in severe burn patients.
Infanger
Manfred
M
Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Benjamin Franklin Campus, Hindenburgdamm 30, D-12200 Berlin, Germany. manfred.infanger@medizin.fu-berlin.de
Schmidt
Oliver
O
Kossmehl
Peter
P
Grad
Sibylle
S
Ertel
Wolfgang
W
Grimm
Daniela
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D004487:Edema / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D014945:Wound Healing
D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors