title: Selected neuroendocrine tumour markers, growth factors and their receptors in typical and atypical bronchopulmonary carcinoids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumours (BP NET) cause many diagnostic and therapeutic problems. There is an ongoing search for biochemical markers of activity of these tumours. The use of polypeptide growth factors seems potentially feasible in establishing the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of these tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 41 patients aged 25 to 78 years with histopathologically confirmed typical and atypical bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumours and 20 healthy volunteers. We assessed the levels of specific and non-specific markers of these tumours and of selected growth factors relative to TNM classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of specific markers (serotonin and its metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid [5HIAA]) and non-specific markers (chromogranin A [CgA]) were significantly higher in patients with atypical carcinoid tumours. The serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) were significantly higher in patients with carcinoid tumours versus the control group. The levels of VEGFR-1 closely correlated with TNM classification. No such correlation could, however, be confirmed for the levels of HGF, VEGF or VEGFR-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of CgA, serotonin and 5HIAA may be useful in the diagnosis of BP NET, particularly in atypical carcinoid tumours, and their levels depend on the presence of distant metastases. Determination of growth factors (VEGF and its receptor, VEGFR‑1, and HGF) may prove useful in the clinical diagnosis of these tumours, while the assessment of VEGFR‑1 expression may be helpful in tumour staging.
authors: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Silesian Medical University in Katowice, Poland.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Telega
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Kos-Kudła
authors: Wanda
authors: W
authors: Foltyn
authors: Jolanta
authors: J
authors: Blicharz-Dorniak
authors: Violetta
authors: V
authors: Rosiek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor