Soluble VEGFR1 concentration in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE

VEGFR is involved in complex biological processes, including inflammation and cancer development, progression and metastasis. Many proteins, including VEGFR, are proteolytically released from the surface of cells by a process known as ectodomain shedding. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of soluble VEGFR1 (sVEGFR1) in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Sixty-two serum samples from healthy controls and 88 samples from patients with different stages of CRC were included in this study. The total protein concentration (TPC) was measured using a Bio-Rad protein assay, and the expression and concentration of sVEGFR1 was determined by a Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

RESULTS

No significant difference in the serum TPC of patients with and without CRC was seen. The relative s-VEGFR1 expression and concentration of sVEGFR1 in the serum of patients with CRC were significantly increased compared to those in controls (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that VEGFR1 shedding may provide a reliable and practical indicator of the malignant potential, tumor progression and overall tumor burden. The findings also suggest that sVEGFR1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of CRC, and the detection of serum sVEGFR1 may be useful in classifying CRC.