TY - JOUR
T1 - Vascular endothelial growth factor serum levels in children with newly diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma
AU - Schiavetti, Amalia
AU - Mcdowell, Heather P.
AU - Conti, Laura
AU - Altavista, Pierluigi
AU - Antenucci, Anna
AU - Pizer, Barry
AU - Dominici, Carlo
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Background: The adverse prognostic impact of elevated levels of circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is described in several malignancies. However, no information is available in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). In the present study, serum VEGF-A (sVEGF-A) was measured at diagnosis in a series of patients with RMS. Procedure: sVEGF-A was assessed retrospectively in 17 newly diagnosed RMS patients. sVEGF-A concentrations were determined by quantitative enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent ELISA kit and their possible associations with age at diagnosis, gender, histology, primary site, primary size, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) post-surgical group, and outcome were investigated. Results: sVEGF-A median value in patients with RMS was significantly higher than in controls: 499.0pg/ml, range: 2,648.0 versus 301.5pg/ml, range: 716.0 (P=0.013). Although not statistically significant probably due to the limited number of patients, sVEGF-A median levels resulted higher in unfavorable primary sites (277.0 vs. 539.0pg/ml; P=0.31), and advanced groups (390.0 vs. 715.0; P=0.29). Patients with shorter 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) times also had higher sVEGF-A levels, although again the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.18 and P=0.22, respectively). Conclusions: Circulating VEGF is significantly increased in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed RMS. Further studies in larger series of RMS patients are needed to understand whether measurements of circulating VEGF might have a role in assessing prognosis and modulating treatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:627-630.
AB - Background: The adverse prognostic impact of elevated levels of circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is described in several malignancies. However, no information is available in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). In the present study, serum VEGF-A (sVEGF-A) was measured at diagnosis in a series of patients with RMS. Procedure: sVEGF-A was assessed retrospectively in 17 newly diagnosed RMS patients. sVEGF-A concentrations were determined by quantitative enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent ELISA kit and their possible associations with age at diagnosis, gender, histology, primary site, primary size, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) post-surgical group, and outcome were investigated. Results: sVEGF-A median value in patients with RMS was significantly higher than in controls: 499.0pg/ml, range: 2,648.0 versus 301.5pg/ml, range: 716.0 (P=0.013). Although not statistically significant probably due to the limited number of patients, sVEGF-A median levels resulted higher in unfavorable primary sites (277.0 vs. 539.0pg/ml; P=0.31), and advanced groups (390.0 vs. 715.0; P=0.29). Patients with shorter 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) times also had higher sVEGF-A levels, although again the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.18 and P=0.22, respectively). Conclusions: Circulating VEGF is significantly increased in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed RMS. Further studies in larger series of RMS patients are needed to understand whether measurements of circulating VEGF might have a role in assessing prognosis and modulating treatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:627-630.
KW - Angiogenesis
KW - Rhabdomyosarcoma
KW - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
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U2 - 10.1002/pbc.24072
DO - 10.1002/pbc.24072
M3 - Article
C2 - 22231858
AN - SCOPUS:84864931309
VL - 59
SP - 627
EP - 630
JO - Pediatric Blood and Cancer
JF - Pediatric Blood and Cancer
SN - 1545-5009
IS - 4
ER -