title: Clinical relevance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) and VEGF receptor (VEGFR2) gene polymorphism on the treatment outcome following imatinib therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imatinib could reverse marrow angiogenesis and decrease the plasma level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. Methods, materials and patients: The current study investigated the impact of four vascular endothelial growth factor type A (VEGFA) and three vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) gene polymorphisms on the outcomes of 228 CML patients following imatinib therapy. VEGFA genotypes such as -2578C>A (rs699947), -460T>C (rs833061), +405G>C (rs2010963) and +936C>T (rs3025039) loci and VEGFR2 genotypes (rs1531289, rs1870377 and rs2305948) were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-based method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In single marker analyses, strong correlations were noted between complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and VEGFR2 genotypes (rs1531289/rs1870377), between treatment failure and VEGFR2 genotype (rs1870377) and between progression to advanced disease and VEGFA genotypes (rs699947/rs833061). Three haplotypes of VEGFR2 gene were generated as follows: GT (46.1%), AT (27.9%) and GA (25.7%). Haplotype analyses showed good correlations between VEGFR2 haplotype and CCyR and treatment failure to imatinib. Multivariate analyses confirmed strong correlations of VEGFR2 polymorphisms (especially rs1531289, rs1870377 or VEGFR2 haplotype) with CCyR, treatment failure and of VEGFA genotype (rs699947) with progression to advanced disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VEGFR2 gene polymorphism correlates with cytogenetic response, treatment failure following imatinib therapy for CML, while VEGFA genotype correlates with progression to advanced disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Group, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Hematology/Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: drkiim@medimail.co.kr.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Hospital.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamel-Reid
authors.affiliation: Analytical Genetics Technology Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Group, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lipton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2