[Assessment of pro- and antiangiogenic factors blood serum concentrations in patients with hormonal inactive adrenal tumors].
BACKGROUND
The growth and persistence of solid tumors and their metastases is connected with angiogenesis. This process is determined by activity of pro- and antyangiogenic factors. VEGF is the one of the most important factors having a stimulant effect on angiogenesis. Soluble forms of VEGF receptors are inhibitors of angiogenesis. The soluble forms of VEGF receptors containing extra cellular part of receptor, which binds ligand, seem to be real inhibitors of VEGF.


OBJECTIVE
Evaluation the value of serum VEGF and soluble forms of VEGF receptors concentration as a marker of malignancy in patients with hormonal inactive adrenal tumors.


METHODS
Twenty seven patients (18 female, 9 male; mean age 48+/-4.3 years) with adrenocortical carcinoma (N=8), adrenal metastases (N=4) and adrenocortical adenoma (N=15) were included in this study. Age- and gender-matched control samples were acquired from healthy volunteers (N=10). Serum VEGF and sVEGFR levels were determinated by means of ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student-t test, the Pearson's test and the series test.


RESULTS
In healthy controls mean VEGF level was 197.2 pg/ml, sVEGFR-1 43.5 pg/ml and sVEGFR-2 8976.3 pg/ml. Patients with adrenocortical carcinoma had the levels of VEGF (1263.8 pg/ml) significantly higher and of sVEGFR-2 (5893.7 pg/ml) significantly lower in comparison to control group (p<0.05). On the other hand the mean VEGF (334.2 pg/ml) concentration in patients with benign adrenocortical adenoma wasn't significant different than in control group (p>0.05) but mean sVEGFR-1 (21.7 pg/ml) and sVEGFR-2 (7106.4 pg/ml) concentrations were significantly lower than in the control (p<0.05). In metastases group mean VEGF (485.9 pg/ml) level was higher and sVEGFR-2 (5455.2 pg/ml) was lower than in control group (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that determination of VEGF and sVEGFR concentration in the serum of patients with hormonal inactive adrenal tumors may be applied as an additional marker of malignancy.
Korzeniewska
Marzena
M
Department of General and Endocrinological Surgery, Medical University, Lódź.
Kołomecki
Krzysztof
K
Stepień
Henryk
H
Naze
Maciej
M
Stepień
Tomasz
T
Kuzdak
Krzysztof
K
D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D018246:Adrenocortical Adenoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D018268:Adrenocortical Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000097:blood
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2