Plasma soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 levels are persistently elevated during the first month after colorectal cancer resection

Introduction Plasma from the second and third weeks after minimally invasive colorectal resection (MICR) has high levels of the proangiogenic proteins VEGF and angiopoietin 2 and also stimulates, in vitro, endothelial cell (EC) proliferation and migration, which are critical to wound and tumor angiogenesis. Soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) stimulates EC chemotaxis and angiogenesis. The impact of MICR on blood levels of sVCAM-1 is unknown. This study’s purpose was to determine plasma sVCAM-1 levels after MICR in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods Blood samples from 90 patients (26% rectal, 74% colon) were obtained preoperatively, on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 3, and at other points during the next 2 months. The late samples were bundled into 7-day time blocks. sVCAM-1 levels were determined in duplicate via ELISA and reported as ng/ml. Student’s t test was used for data analysis (significance, P