Changes and prognostic value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the changes and the prognostic value of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).


METHODS
A total of 79 patients with DTC and 30 healthy individuals were divided into four groups: (1) a healthy control group (n = 30); (2) DTC without recurrence (n = 35; 23 papillary, 12 follicular); (3) DTC with local recurrence (n = 24; 15 papillary, 9 follicular), and (4) DTC with lung metastasis (n = 20; 13 papillary, 7 follicular). Serum VEGF and thyroglobulin levels were measured in all patients.


RESULTS
Serum levels of VEGF were significantly higher in the lung metastasis group than in the other three groups (p < 0.05). Serum thyroglobulin concentration positively correlated with VEGF expression (r = 0.8678, p < 0.001) in patients with thyroid cancer recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that clinical staging (OR = 1.851, 95% CI 1.04-3.47; p = 0.038), noncompliance with postoperative thyroxin replacement therapy (OR = 1.935, 95% CI 1.03-3.65; p = 0.042) and postoperative levels of thyroglobulin (OR = 1.892, 95% CI 1.01-3.56, p = 0.032) were independent predictors for thyroid cancer recurrence. Every additional 100 ng/l of serum VEGF levels increased the risk of thyroid cancer recurrence by 20.3%; but this did not reach statistical significance (OR = 1.203, 95% CI 0.95-1.52; p = 0.125).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum VEGF increased in patients with recurrent thyroid cancer following surgical therapies. The predictive value of serum VEGF requires further investigation.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Liaocheng People’s Hospital of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, China.
Zhen-Hu
ZH
Zhou
Xiao-Ning
XN
Cui
Huai-Guang
HG
Xing
Rui-Hong
RH
Yan
Dao-Kuo
DK
Yao
Le-Xin
LX
Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013974:Thyroxine