Naumnik Wojciech, Izycki Tomasz, Swidzińska Ewa, Ossolińiska Maria, Chyczewska Elzbieta
Department of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
Oncol Res. 2007;16(9):445-51.
The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor C and D (VEGF-C, VEGF-D) and soluble VEGF receptor 2 (sVEGFR-2) in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy. The study included 80 patients (64 men and 16 women; mean age 61.1) diagnosed histologically with lung cancer. Forty-four (55%) had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 36 (45%) had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Squamous cell carcinoma was established in 56% (25 patients) of all patients with NSCLC, adenocarcinoma in 20% (9 patients), and non-small cell lung cancer in 23% (10 patients). The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood samples were taken before and after four cycles of chemotherapy. VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and sVEGFR-2 levels were assessed by ELISA method. Serum levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-D were significantly higher in both NSCLC and SCLC groups in comparison with controls. VEGF-C concentration decreased after chemotherapy, whereas VEGF-D concentration was at the same level. No correlation was found between VEGF-C and VEGF-D concentrations and the effect of treatment. Patients with lung cancer and progression after chemotherapy (PD) had the higher concentration of sVEGFR-2 than patients with partial remission (PR). The levels of sVEGFR-2 were lower before and after treatment than in controls. No relation was found between VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and sVEGFR-2 concentrations and the histological type and staging of lung cancer. Summing up, serum concentrations of VEGF-C and VEGF-D were higher in patients with lung cancer both before and after chemotherapy than in healthy controls, whereas sVEGFR-2 concentration was lower than in healthy controls. An increase in concentration of sVEGFR-2 during chemotherapy may suggest progression of the disease. However, it requires further examination.
本研究旨在评估化疗期间肺癌患者血清中血管内皮生长因子C和D（VEGF-C、VEGF-D）以及可溶性VEGF受体2（sVEGFR-2）的水平。该研究纳入了80例经组织学诊断为肺癌的患者（64例男性和16例女性；平均年龄61.1岁）。其中44例（55%）为非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC），36例（45%）为小细胞肺癌（SCLC）。所有NSCLC患者中，56%（25例）为鳞状细胞癌，20%（9例）为腺癌，23%（10例）为非小细胞肺癌。对照组由20名健康志愿者组成。在化疗四个周期前后采集外周血样本。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法评估VEGF-C、VEGF-D和sVEGFR-2水平。与对照组相比，NSCLC组和SCLC组的血清VEGF-C和VEGF-D水平均显著升高。化疗后VEGF-C浓度降低，而VEGF-D浓度保持在同一水平。未发现VEGF-C和VEGF-D浓度与治疗效果之间存在相关性。化疗后病情进展（PD）的肺癌患者sVEGFR-2浓度高于部分缓解（PR）的患者。治疗前后sVEGFR-2水平均低于对照组。未发现VEGF-C 和VEGF-D以及sVEGFR-2浓度与肺癌的组织学类型和分期之间存在关联。综上所述，肺癌患者化疗前后血清VEGF-C和VEGF-D浓度均高于健康对照组，而sVEGFR-2浓度低于健康对照组。化疗期间sVEGFR-2浓度升高可能提示疾病进展。然而，这需要进一步研究。
