SERUM VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

Aim: Angiogenesis is an important factor in tumoral progression, metastasis and invasion. More recently, it has also been found to play a particular role in hematological malignancies.
Methods: In this study, 45 patients harboring hematological malignancies (15 acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 10 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 10 multiple myeloma (MM), 10 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)) were compared with 20 healthy individuals matched according to age and sex, regarding serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, a marker for angiogenesis) levels.
Results: The difference between serum VEGF levels of the study group (338.4 ± 587.6 pg/mL) and the control group (69.9 ± 24.4 pg/mL) was statistically significant (p<0.05). The highest serum VEGF level (1099.7±906.8 pg/mL) was found in CML subgroup.
Conclusion: Serum VEGF levels of the patients with hematological malignancies were significantly higher compared to controls. Further studies are needed to determine the exact role of VEGF in the development and progression of the hematological malignancies and therapeutic implications of this finding.

Keywords
Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Hematological Malignancy