Association between angiogenesis soluble factors and disease progression markers in chronic hepatitis C patients.
OBJECTIVE
Our objectives were to compare angiogenesis soluble factor (ASF) levels in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and healthy individuals, and to investigate potential associations between ASF levels and both histological and biochemical markers of disease progression.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients (69% males) positive for HCV-RNA by PCR analysis were included in the study. All patients underwent liver biopsy before treatment. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble Flt-1 and Flk-1 receptors, placental growth factor (PlGF), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and soluble Tie-2 receptor were determined by ELISA. Fifteen healthy subjects were used as controls.


RESULTS
In comparison to healthy individuals, CHC patients showed significantly increased serum levels of proangiogenic factors PlGF (22 +/- 5 vs. 18 +/- 8 pg/ml; p < 0.05), Ang-2 (1265 +/- 385 vs. 833 +/- 346 pg/ml; p < 0.005) and sFlt-1 (95 +/- 22 vs. 72 +/- 14 pg/ml; p < 0.0001). Interestingly, in CHC patients serum levels of VEGF and Tie-2 correlated with grade of inflammation, PlGF correlated with stage of fibrosis, and Flt-1 and Flk-1 correlated with serum transaminase levels (p < 0.05 in all cases).


CONCLUSIONS
CHC patients showed increased serum levels of ASF, and a significant correlation was shown between serum levels of selected ASFs and grade of inflammation, stage of fibrosis, and transaminase levels.
Salcedo Mora
X
X
Unit of Hepatology, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain.
Sanz-Cameno
P
P
Medina
J
J
Martín-Vílchez
S
S
García-Buey
L
L
Borque
M J
MJ
Moreno-Otero
R
R
D000328:Adult; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers