title: Vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations in the plasma-activated platelets rich (P-APR) of healthy controls and colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a key role in tumour angiogenesis. Our preliminary published data suggest that plasma-activated platelets rich (P-APR) rather than other plasma compartments (i.e. plasma, plasma-platelets poor) or serum is the more suitable blood fraction for measuring VEGF in a miscellaneous series of gastrointestinal cancer patients. The aim of this confirmatory study was to assess VEGF in P-APR blood compartments of 30 healthy control subjects (HCS) and a homogeneous series of 62 colorectal cancer patients (CRCP), prospectively collected, to evaluate its possible clinical-biological significance. Samples of plasma (P) in both sodium citrate (SC) and sodium citrate-theophylline-adenosine-dipyridamole (CTAD) were collected from venous blood. After the centrifugation and separation methods VEGF levels were detected by ELISA in P-APR. The best differentiation between HCS and CRCP in VEGF level was seen for P-APRCTAD (median value: 255 pg/ml versus 142 pg/ml; p=0.000 by Mann-Whitney U test). No significant correlation among the P-APR VEGF concentrations and the main clinical pathological features was found. We suggest that P-APRCTAD fraction, obtained according to well standardised conditions, could represent the suitable blood compartment for the assessment of VEGF as marker of malignant intestinal transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, National Cancer Institute, I-Bari 70126, Italy. giroran@tiscalinet.it
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patruno
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milella
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scotto
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Ceglie
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pellecchia
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010949:Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A