title: Plasma levels of osteopontin and vascular endothelial growth factor in association with clinical features and parameters of tumor burden in patients with multiple myeloma.
abstract: The aim of this pilot study was to determine the plasma levels of osteopontin (OPN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and find possible association between them and main clinical features and parameters of tumor burden in patient with multiple myeloma (MM). Plasma levels of OPN and VEGF were determined in 44 newly diagnosed MM patients and 24 healthy persons by ELISA method. These values were compared with the presence of anemia, renal dysfunction, and bone lesions as myeloma related clinical manifestations and with serum beta-2 microglobulin and Durie-Salmon clinical stage as prognosticators related to tumor mass. The value of OPN was significantly higher in MM patients with evident bone lesions (P = 0.03) and there was also a positive correlation with serum beta-2 microglobulin (r = 0.366; P = 0.04). Furthermore, patients with lower Durie-Salmon stage had significantly lower OPN and VEGF levels (P = 0.05; P = 0.04, resp.). Our preliminary results found positive association between plasma level of OPN, tumor burden, and bone destruction. Further analysis should provide information about the possible use of OPN as useful clinical biomarker for monitoring bone disease and tumor mass, as well as a prognostic factor, or a possible target for pharmacological intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valković
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Emina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Babarović
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lučin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Štifter
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Merica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aralica
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pećanić
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology, Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seili-Bekafigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Antica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duletić-Načinović
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Kišpatićeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nemet
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Nives
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jonjić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000235:genetics; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D053495:Osteopontin