title: Expression of VEGF-C and its receptor VEGFR-3 in the bone marrow of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) has been shown to promote survival and resistance to chemotherapy of AML-cells in vitro. We investigated the expression of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 in the bone marrow and pretherapeutic plasma levels of VEGF-C in patients with newly diagnosed AML. Expression of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 was significantly higher in AML patients than in controls, while circulating levels did not differ. However, VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 expression was not able to predict clinical outcome. In conclusion, AML is associated with an increased expression of VEGF-C/VEGFR-3. Although expression levels display no prognostic significance in our study, strategies targeting the VEGF-C/VEGFR-3-pathway might be a promising treatment approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, D-48129 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Ruediger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liersch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schliemann
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bieker
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hintelmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buechner
authors.forename: Wolfgang E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Berdel
authors.forename: Rolf M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mesters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3