Increased levels of plasma haemoxygenase-1 in prostate cancer.
Angiogenesis, a key component of cancer, may be driven by angiogenic growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2. Haemoxygenase-1 (HO-1), a haem-degrading enzyme, may have alternative roles in angiogenesis. Levels of plasma HO-1 have not been reported in prostate cancer. We tested the hypothesis of abnormal HO-1 in 30 men with early prostate cancer, compared with 22 men with benign prostate disease (BPD) and 26 men free of prostate disease, and that HO-1 levels would correlate with VEGF, angiopoietin-2, von Willebrand factor (vWf, marking endothelial perturbation) and PSA. Plasma HO-1 was twofold higher in prostate cancer than in the two control groups, while vWf, VEGF and PSA were also raised (all P<0.02). In the subjects free of prostate disease and in the BPD groups, HO-1 correlated significantly with VEGF (r>0.5, P<0.02) but the correlation in prostate cancer was not significant (r=0.117, P=0.537). There were no correlations with PSA or the Gleason stage. We conclude that HO-1 is associated with VEGF in health and BPD, but in the presence of prostate cancer, raised levels of both HO-1 and VEGF fail to correlate. This observation may have implications for the pathogenesis of prostate cancer.
Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Birmingham, UK. a.blann@bham.ac.uk
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Blann
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Balakrishnan
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Ryan
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Lip
D000368:Aged; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen