[The relationship between plasma level of VEGF or soluble Flt-1 and efficacy of hepatic arterial chemotherapy in patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the clinical significance of determining plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in colorectal cancer, changes in plasma levels of VEGF and sFIt 1 during hepatic arterial chemotherapy were investigated in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer.


METHODS
The relationship between plasma level of VEGF or sFlt-1 and serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), or the efficacy of hepatic arterial chemotherapy was investigated in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer (n=19). Plasma levels of VEGF and sFlt-1 were determined by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
There was a positive relationship between plasma level of sFlt-1 and serum level of CEA (p = 0.13). The other combinations did not show any statistical correlations. Also, in terms of the doubling time (DT), there was a positive relationship between the sFlt1-DT and the CEA-DT (p = 0.04). The levels of VEGF tended to change in accordance with the efficacy of chemotherapy. In contrast, plasma levels of sFlt-1 increased in patients with the progressive disease, whereas the levels did not decrease in patients with the partial response.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that (1) VEGF may be a useful tumor marker during the chemotherapy in patients, whose CEA and CA19-9 are below the cutoff, and (2) the shrinkage of liver metastases may not cause a decrease in sFlt-1 or the half-life of sFlt-1 may be considerably long.
Gonda
Tsuyoshi
T
Dept. of Digestive Tract and General Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University.
Okada
Norimichi
N
Nakada
Hiroshi
H
Yokoyama
Masaru
M
Miyazaki
Tatsuya
T
Ishibashi
Keiichiro
K
Ishida
Hideyuki
H
Matsumoto
Yoshiro
Y
Miura
Tsuyoshi
T
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004317:Doxorubicin; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D005472:Fluorouracil