title: Assessment of soluble angiogenic markers in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Angiogenic markers such as VEGF/basic FGF (bFGF) can enlarge the diagnostic biomarkers panel for pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 32 stage I-IV pancreatic cancer patients and 20 controls were analyzed for soluble VEGF/bFGF by ELISA and xMAP array.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF/bFGF serum levels were significantly increased in patients compared with controls (p < 0.0001). We report a correlation with tumor diameter (p < 0.01/p < 0.05), stage (p < 0.001), Ki67LI (p < 0.005/p < 0.05) and carbohydrate 19-9 antigen (p < 0.005/p < 0.001). VEGF/bFGF levels analyzed by xMAP array were comparable with the pattern (patient/control) outline obtained by ELISA tests. We obtained a good correlation between these two soluble angiogenic markers (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data obtained for angiogenic markers qualifies them as important candidates in the pancreatic cancer biomarker panel.
authors.affiliation: 'Victor Babes' National Institute of Pathology, 99-101 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, Romania. bioch@vbabes.ro.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pistol-Tanase
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raducan
authors.forename: Simona Olimpia
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Dima
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Albulescu
authors.forename: Ionita
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alina
authors.forename: Poroschianu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marius
authors.forename: Linda Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cruceru
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Codorean
authors.forename: Teodora Monica
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Neagu
authors.forename: Irinel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Popescu