title: [Correlations between serum hypoxia inducible factor-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor and computed tomography perfusion imaging at pre-and post-TACE in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the correlations between the serum levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameters at pre- and post-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 PHC patients were recruited.Their serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF were measured and CT perfusion imaging (CTPI) was performed at Day 1 pre- and Days 32-40 post-TACE to compare and analyze the relevance of the changes of serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, tumor's hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP) and hepatic artery perfusion index (HPI) at pre- and post-TACE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  They were divided into stable and tumor residual/recurrent groups according to the efficacy of TACE. No significant differences existed between two groups with respects to serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, tumor's HAP, PVP and HPI pre-TACE. The serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF decreased in stable group and there was significant difference in serum level of VEGF at Days 32-40 post-TACE (P < 0.05). There was no perfusion signal of HAP or PVP in tumor tissue.The serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF were significantly higher while HAP and HPI were significantly lower than that pre-TACE in tumor residual/recurrent group and had statistical significance (P < 0.05), but PVP had no change.Positive correlations existed between serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF and tumor's HAP, HPI at 32-40 days post-TACE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF may indirectly reflect the status of neovascularization and CTPI acts as the intuitive and quantitative responses of hemodynamic changes at post-TACE.Positive correlations exist between serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, HAP and HPI. In short, a combination of serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF and CTPI contributes to the efficacy evaluation of TACE and has great reference significance of determining timing of a second therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiograph, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China. jiazhongzhi.1998@163.com
authors.forename: Zhong-zhi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yuan-quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yao-liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Guo-min
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A