Early increase in serum levels of the angiogenesis-inhibitor endostatin and of basic fibroblast growth factor in melanoma patients during disease progression.
BACKGROUND
Increased serum levels of angiogenesis-related factors such as endostatin, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) have been demonstrated for a variety of solid and nonsolid tumours. Therefore, these factors have been suggested as diagnostic and in some studies as prognostic tumour markers.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to investigate a possible correlation of endostatin, VEGF or bFGF serum levels with disease progression in melanoma. Especially, we compared these factors to the established melanoma marker S-100 B, which increases in advanced disease but often fails to indicate early metastatic spread to regional lymph nodes.


METHODS
Sera from 197 melanoma patients and 35 healthy controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; 72 patients had primary tumours (American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I and II), 55 had regional lymph node metastasis (stage III) and 70 patients had distant organ metastasis (stage IV).


RESULTS
Endostatin, VEGF and bFGF serum levels were significantly elevated in stage IV disease, compared with the control group. In stage III, endostatin and bFGF, but not VEGF or S-100 B, were significantly increased. However, follow-up of this patient group did not show a correlation with the future clinical course including time until progression or overall survival, arguing against a role of endostatin, VEGF or bFGF as prognostic markers.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that endostatin or bFGF might be useful as diagnostic markers for the early detection of locoregional metastasis.
Kurschat
P
P
Department of Dermatology and Center for Molecular Medicine CMMC, University of Cologne, Josef-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50924 Cologne, Germany.
Eming
S
S
Nashan
D
D
Krieg
T
T
Mauch
C
C
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D043169:Endostatins / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D043169:Endostatins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2