title: Evaluation of serum and urinary angiogenic factors in patients with endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate serum and urinary levels of vascular endothelial growth factors, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1) in patients with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  During surgery for pelvic pain, pelvic mass or infertility, serum and urine were collected. Of 70 patients, 46 had histology-proven endometriosis and 24 patients without endometriosis participated as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum TNF-alpha levels and urinary sFlt-1 levels corrected for creatinine excretion were significantly increased in the endometriosis group (P=0.001 and P=0.011 respectively). Serum sFlt-1 levels and urinary sFlt-1 levels corrected for creatinine were significantly higher in patients with minimal-to-mild disease (P=0.014 and P=0.015 respectively), where serum TNF-alpha levels were increased in moderate-to-severe endometriosis (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pathogenesis of minimal-to-mild endometriosis and moderate-to-severe endometriosis seems to be different. Increased sFlt-1 levels in serum and urine of minimal-to-mild disease indicate that sFlt-1 may have an important role in inhibiting angiogenic process of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Dogok-dong, KangNam-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Si Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yoon Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Hye Yeon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Je
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Byung Seok
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1