Lyu Chuhl Joo, Rha Sun Young, Won Sung Chul
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, 224-1 Heukseok-Dong, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
Yonsei Med J. 2007 Apr 30;48(2):171-5. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2007.48.2.171.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are associated with increased angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis in solid tumors. But, until today, the importance of theses factors on leukemia, especially childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) has received limited attention. Therefore, this study examined the bone marrow plasma VEGF and bFGF levels in ALL patients and normal controls.
Bone marrow plasmas at diagnosis from 33 ALL patients (median age 5.9 years; range 1.8-13.9 years) were used for analysis. The bone marrow levels of bFGF and VEGF were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (R & D Systems) and compared with the bone marrow levels of 7 healthy control subjects (median age 11.98 years; 6 months -13.6 years).
Average VEGF was higher in relapse ALL (N=7, 216.6 +/- 79.9pg/mL) compared to standard (N=9, 36.8 +/- 12.1pg/mL) (p=0.013) or high risk ALL (N=17, 80.0 +/- 12.2pg/mL) (p=0.023). bFGF levels were also significantly higher in relapse than standard-, or high-risk ALL patients (relapse ALL; 48.6 +/- 15.4pg/mL, standard risk ALL; 18.9 +/- 5.5pg/mL, high risk ALL; 19.0 +/- 3.5pg/mL, normal control; 18.6 +/- 4.0pg/mL) (p=0.003). Three patients with refractory relapse and death had much higher VEGF and bFGF values (VEGF; 420.0 +/- 81.6pg/ mL, bFGF; 85.6 +/- 3.2pg/mL).
Our data suggest that the increased levels of VEGF and bFGF in bone marrow may play an important role in prognosis of childhood ALL.
血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）和碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bFGF）与实体瘤中血管生成增加、生长及转移相关。但直至今日，这些因子在白血病尤其是儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）中的重要性受到的关注有限。因此，本研究检测了ALL患者及正常对照者的骨髓血浆VEGF和bFGF水平。
采用33例ALL患者（中位年龄5.9岁；范围1.8 - 13.9岁）诊断时的骨髓血浆进行分析。通过酶联免疫吸附测定法（R&D Systems）测定bFGF和VEGF的骨髓水平，并与7例健康对照者（中位年龄11.98岁；6个月 - 13.6岁）的骨髓水平进行比较。
与标准风险ALL（n = 9，36.8 ± 12.1 pg/mL）（p = 0.013）或高危ALL（n = 17，80.0 ± 12.2 pg/mL）（p = 0.023）相比，复发ALL（n = 7，216.6 ± 79.9 pg/mL）的平均VEGF更高。复发ALL患者的bFGF水平也显著高于标准风险或高危ALL患者（复发ALL；48.6 ± 15.4 pg/mL，标准风险ALL；18.9 ± 5.5 pg/mL，高危ALL；19.0 ± 3.5 pg/mL，正常对照；18.6 ± 4.0 pg/mL）（p = 0.003）。3例难治性复发及死亡患者的VEGF和bFGF值更高（VEGF；420.0 ± 81.6 pg/mL，bFGF；85.6 ± 3.2 pg/mL）。
我们的数据表明，骨髓中VEGF和bFGF水平升高可能在儿童ALL的预后中起重要作用。
