Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF-C levels as tumor markers in patients with cervical carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF-C play a crucial role in the regulation of tumor growth and metastasis. The current study examined the significance of serum VEGF and VEGF-C levels in relation to conventional clinicopathologic parameters, response to treatment, and survival in patients with cervical carcinoma.


METHODS
Between December 1999 and March 2004, serum VEGF and VEGF-C levels were analyzed in 78 patients with cervical carcinoma undergoing primary treatment (primary surgery [n=40] and radiotherapy [n=38]), as well as in 30 healthy controls. Serum VEGF and VEGF-C levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and within 2 weeks after treatment.


RESULTS
Serum VEGF and VEGF-C levels were higher in patients with cervical carcinoma than in the healthy control (P=0.0002 and P=0.0007, respectively). Both VEGF and VEGF-C concentrations increased significantly in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC vs. normal control: P<0.0001 and P=0.0001, respectively), but not in adenocarcinoma (vs. normal control: P=0.2982 and P=0.7766, respectively). In an analysis of SCC, the pretherapeutic serum levels of VEGF and VEGF-C correlated significantly with advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and large tumor size, but not with lymph node metastasis. The pretherapeutic serum level of VEGF-C also correlated significantly with disease recurrence or persistence after treatment. Both serum VEGF and VEGF-C levels decreased significantly after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum levels of both VEGF and VEGF-C have potential usefulness as biologic markers of SCC of the uterine cervix.
Mitsuhashi
Akira
A
Department of Reproductive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. makira-cib@umin.ac.jp
Suzuka
Kiyomi
K
Yamazawa
Koji
K
Matsui
Hideo
H
Seki
Katsuyoshi
K
Sekiya
Souei
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C