title: Disturbed balance between serum levels of receptor tyrosine kinases Tie-1, Tie-2 and angiopoietins in systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the characteristic factors for vascular development and maintenance levels as well as correlation between Tie-1 receptors, Tie-2 receptors and the corresponding ligands--angiopoietins--in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of Tie-1, Tie-2, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were measured in 25 SSc patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant difference in serum Tie-1 (p = 0.009) and Ang-2 (p = 0.001) levels in SSc patients compared with healthy controls. Significant correlations between Tie-1 and Tie-2 (ρ = 0.70, p = 0.0001) and between Tie-1 and Ang-2 (ρ = -0.92, p = 0.002) were found in the SSc group. Serum levels of Tie-2 were positively associated with esophagus changes (U = 2.03, p = 0.041) and Ang-1 was negatively correlated with duration of Raynaud's phenomenon (ρ = -0.75, p = 0.00008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase in serum concentration of Tie-1 and Ang-2 in patients with SSc may confirm a molecular imbalance between receptor tyrosine kinases Tie and their ligands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gerlicz
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dziankowska-Bartkowiak
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sysa-Jedrzejowska
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D042682:Angiopoietins / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D042810:Receptor, TIE-1 / Q000097:blood*; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D042682:Angiopoietins; D015415:Biomarkers; D042810:Receptor, TIE-1; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2