title: Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor in childhood solid tumors: plasma and serum measurements.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in children with a solid tumor to investigate which provides better prognostic information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients under treatment were divided into two groups: without (n 8) and with (n 9) detectable disease at radiological assessment (groups I and II). The control group consisted of 26 healthy children. VEGF was tested by enzyme-linked ELISA kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum VEGF concentrations in group II were statistically higher than those in group I (p<0.05) and those in controls (p=0.001), whereas the difference between group I and controls was not statistically significant (p=0.067). Plasma VEGF concentrations in group II were also statistically higher than those in group I (p<0.01) and those in controls (p=0.0001); the difference between group I and controls was also statistically significant (p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma would be the more useful specimen for measurement of circulating VEGF in cancer childhood.
authors: Department of Pediatrics,Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Roma, Italy. amalia.schiavetti@uniroma1.it
authors: Amalia
authors: A
authors: Schiavetti
authors: Annapaola
authors: A
authors: Ingrosso
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Antenucci
authors: Tatiana
authors: T
authors: Federici
authors: Giacomina
authors: G
authors: Megaro
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: De Luca
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Conti
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A