Human recombinant erythropoietic agents do not induce changes in circulating levels of endoglin and vascular endothelial growth factor in anemic cancer patients.
The correlation of erythropoietin (EPO) receptor levels with angiogenesis and progression in some cancers has suggested that EPO could acts directly as an angiogenic factor. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of treatment with human recombinant erythropoietic (rHuEPO) agents in cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced anaemia on endoglin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) circulating levels as a possible marker of angiogenesis. Endoglin and VEGF were measured in serum samples from 25 cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia before and after 3-4 weeks of treatment with rHuEPO. A group of 28 healthy voluntaries was used as control. VEGF serum levels were significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls. For endoglin, higher levels were observed without reaching statistical significance. No statistically significant differences in endoglin and VEGF serum levels were found between samples obtained before and after treatment with rHuEPO agents. In conclusion, our result do not support that rHuEpo treatment in anaemic cancer patients induce angiogenesis.
Ocaña
Alberto
A
Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Spain. aocana@usal.es
Rodríguez-Barbero
Alicia
A
Pericacho
Miguel
M
Bellido
Lorena
L
Seijas
Raquel
R
López
Rafael
R
Delgado
Carlota
C
de Prado
Diego Soto
DS
Cruz-Hernández
Juan J
JJ
López-Novoa
José M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000071063:Endoglin; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin