Vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels in children with newly diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma.
BACKGROUND
The adverse prognostic impact of elevated levels of circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is described in several malignancies. However, no information is available in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). In the present study, serum VEGF-A (sVEGF-A) was measured at diagnosis in a series of patients with RMS.


METHODS
sVEGF-A was assessed retrospectively in 17 newly diagnosed RMS patients. sVEGF-A concentrations were determined by quantitative enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent ELISA kit and their possible associations with age at diagnosis, gender, histology, primary site, primary size, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) post-surgical group, and outcome were investigated.


RESULTS
sVEGF-A median value in patients with RMS was significantly higher than in controls: 499.0 pg/ml, range: 2,648.0 versus 301.5 pg/ml, range: 716.0 (P = 0.013). Although not statistically significant probably due to the limited number of patients, sVEGF-A median levels resulted higher in unfavorable primary sites (277.0 vs. 539.0 pg/ml; P = 0.31), and advanced groups (390.0 vs. 715.0; P = 0.29). Patients with shorter 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) times also had higher sVEGF-A levels, although again the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.18 and P = 0.22, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating VEGF is significantly increased in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed RMS. Further studies in larger series of RMS patients are needed to understand whether measurements of circulating VEGF might have a role in assessing prognosis and modulating treatment.
Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. amalia.schiavetti@uniroma1.it
Amalia
A
Schiavetti
Heather P
HP
McDowell
Laura
L
Conti
Pierluigi
P
Altavista
Anna
A
Antenucci
Barry
B
Pizer
Carlo
C
Dominici
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A