Analysis of soluble angiogenic factors in Crohn's disease: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
Soluble angiogenic factors could be altered in patients with Crohns disease (CD), since inflammation and angiogenesis may play a critical pathogenic role.


METHODS
Serum samples were collected from 30 patients with CD (50% female; median age 44 +/- 14 yrs) grouped according to their phenotypic behavior into equal subgroups: inflammatory, fibrostenotic and fistulizing; and 30 healthy controls (50% female; median age 43 +/- 14 yrs). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), angiopoietins (Ang) and receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and Tie2) in sera were assayed by ELISA.


RESULTS
Serum levels of VEGF (494 +/- 247 pg/ml), PlGF (36 +/- 11 pg/ml), VEGFR1 (1.9 +/- 0.3 ng/ml), Ang2 (6.0 +/- 2.3 ng/ml) and Tie2 (36 +/- 5 ng/ml) in CD patients were significantly higher than those found in healthy controls (335 +/- 118 pg/ml; 23 +/- 9 pg/ml; 1.0 +/- 0.3 ng/ml; 3.9 +/- 2.0 ng/ml; 22 +/- 7 ng/ml, respectively). Conversely, CD patients showed significantly lower serum levels of Ang1 than healthy controls (46 +/- 11 versus 67 +/- 23 pg/ml). In the case of VEGFR2 serum levels, no differences between groups were found. Finally, patients with fibrostenotic CD were characterized by elevated VEGF and Ang2 levels, while patients with an inflammatory phenotype by elevated Tie2 and PlGF levels.


CONCLUSIONS
An activated "pro-angiogenic" profile of angiogenesis soluble markers was observed in CD patients, in comparison with healthy controls. According to the phenotypic behavior, these patients showed differences in serum levels of angiogenic factors.
Dueñas Pousa
Inés
I
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital of La Princesa, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
Maté Jiménez
José
J
Salcedo Mora
Xamila
X
Abreu
María T
MT
Abreu
Maria T
MT
Moreno Otero
Ricardo
R
Gisbert
Javier P
JP
Gisber
Javier P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000097:blood; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; 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
C467630:ANGPT1 protein, human; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D015415:Biomarkers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C098069:PIGF protein, human; D011506:Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2