Role of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin systems in serum of Crohn's disease patients.
BACKGROUND
The purposes of this study were to determine soluble angiogenic factors in Crohn's disease (CD) patients and to compare these factors according to the pathological behavior of the disease in order to establish a possible relationship with its evolution in patients with CD.


METHODS
Blood samples were collected from 70 patients with CD, grouped according to their phenotypic behavior, and from 30 healthy controls. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), angiopoietin 1 (Ang1), angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), and their cognate receptors [VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and angiopoietin receptor tyrosine kinase (Tie2)] were assayed by ELISA.


RESULTS
Circulating levels of VEGF, PlGF, VEGFR1, Ang2, and Tie2 were significantly higher in CD patients than in healthy controls (489 +/- 271 versus 335 +/- 118 pg/mL, P < 0.001; 31 +/- 9 versus 23 +/- 9 pg/mL, P < 0.001; 1.7 +/- 0.4 versus 1.0 +/- 0.3 ng/mL, P < 0.001; 4.8 +/- 2.0 versus 3.9 +/- 2.0 ng/mL, P < 0.05; and 36 +/- 5 versus 22 +/- 7 ng/mL, P < 0.001, respectively). Conversely, CD patients showed significantly lower serum levels of Ang1 than healthy controls (40 +/- 12 versus 67 +/- 22 ng/mL; P < 0.001). No differences between the groups were found in VEGFR2 serum level. The circulating levels of the angiogenic factors did not differ significantly when the CD patients were classified according to pathological phenotype.


CONCLUSIONS
In comparison with healthy controls, CD patients were found to have an active angiogenic profile, as detected by significant alterations in levels of angiogenesis soluble markers. These patients did not differ in serum levels of angiogenic factors according to phenotypic disease behavior.
Pousa
Inés D
ID
Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology and Ciberehd. University Hospital of La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Maté
José
J
Salcedo-Mora
Xamila
X
Abreu
Maria T
MT
Moreno-Otero
Ricardo
R
Gisbert
Javier P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D042682:Angiopoietins / Q000097:blood*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2 / Q000097:blood; 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
D042682:Angiopoietins; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2