1. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) plasma levels in non-small cell lung cancer: relationship with coagulation and platelet activation markers.
- Author
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Roselli M, Mineo TC, Basili S, Mariotti S, Martini F, Bellotti A, Ambrogi V, Spila A, D'Alessandro R, Gazzaniga PP, Guadagni F, and Ferroni P
- Subjects
- Adenocarcinoma blood, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers blood, Blood Coagulation, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung pathology, Case-Control Studies, Citric Acid, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Squamous Cell blood, Neovascularization, Pathologic, P-Selectin blood, Platelet Activation, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung blood, Lung Neoplasms, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A blood
- Abstract
Platelet activation, commonly found in lung cancer patients, may cause the release of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A). The present study was designed to investigate whether plasma VEGF-A levels were associated to different stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Moreover, sP-selectin, prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TATc) and D-dimer levels were measured to test the hypothesis of an involvement of platelet and coagulation activation in tumor angiogenesis. VEGF-A, sP-selectin, F1+2, TATc and D-dimer levels were elevated in 65 patients with NSCLC, particularly in metastatic patients. sP-selectin (p <0.003) and F1+2 (p <0.005) levels were independently associated to VEGF-A. In addition, patients with positive levels of both sP-selectin and F1+2 had the highest levels of VEGF-A. In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that thrombin generation might induce platelet activation and VEGF-A release in NSCLC.
- Published
- 2003