title: Increased expression of placental growth factor in high-grade endometrial             carcinoma.
abstract: Placental growth factor (PlGF), a homolog of vascular endothelial growth             factor (VEGF), exerts pleiotropic functions in cancer by affecting tumor cells             as well as endothelial and inflammatory cells. Moreover, PlGF expression correlates             with tumor stage, recurrence, metastasis and patient outcome in different types             of cancer. Recently, administration of anti-PlGF therapy reduced tumor growth             and metastasis in preclinical tumor models. In the present study, we evaluated             the diagnostic and prognostic value of systemic and local expression of PlGF in             primary endometrial carcinomas. PlGF levels in tumor lysates (n=128) and serum             (n=88) of patients with primary endometrial cancer were determined using ELISA.             PlGF mRNA expression in endometrial carcinoma tissues was quantified by quantitative             qRT-PCR. Results were compared to endometrial cancer stage and grade. Systemic             PlGF levels were not altered in patients with endometrial cancer (FIGO stage I-II-III)             as compared to healthy controls. Only in FIGO stage IV patients, serum PlGF levels             were slightly increased. Local PlGF mRNA and protein expression in endometrial             tumors progressively increased with tumor grade. In endometrioid carcinomas, PlGF             mRNA expression was significantly increased in endometrioid grade 3 tumors as             compared to normal endometrial tissue. PlGF protein expression was significantly             increased in endometrioid grade 2 and 3 carcinomas and in serous carcinomas as             compared to normal endometrial tissue. Our study showed that systemic/serum PlGF             levels cannot be used as a diagnostic or prognostic marker in endometrial cancer.             However, the increased local expression of PlGF, primarily in high-grade carcinomas,             underscores the possibility for preclinical assessment of anti-PlGF therapy in             endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. lieve.coenegrachts@med.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Lieve
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coenegrachts
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schrauwen
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Bree
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Despierre
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jonckx
authors.forename: Jean Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stassen
authors.forename: Ignace
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vergote
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor