Assessment of pro- and antiangiogenic factors blood serum concentrations in patients with hormonal inactive adrenal tumors

The growth and persistence of solid tumors and their metastases is connected with angiogenesis. This process is determined by activity of pro- and antyangiogenic factors. VEGF is the one of the most important factors having a stimulant effect on angiogenesis. Soluble forms of VEGF receptors are inhibitors of angiogenesis. The soluble forms of VEGF receptors containing extra cellular part of receptor, which binds ligand, seem to be real inhibitors of VEGF. Evaluation the value of serum VEGF and soluble forms of VEGF receptors concentration as a marker of malignancy in patients with hormonal inactive adrenal tumors. Twenty seven patients (18 female, 9 male; mean age 48+/-4.3 years) with adrenocortical carcinoma (N=8), adrenal metastases (N=4) and adrenocortical adenoma (N=15) were included in this study. Age- and gender-matched control samples were acquired from healthy volunteers (N=10). Serum VEGF and sVEGFR levels were determinated by means of ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student-t test, the Pearson's test and the series test. In healthy controls mean VEGF level was 197.2 pg/ml, sVEGFR-1 43.5 pg/ml and sVEGFR-2 8976.3 pg/ml. Patients with adrenocortical carcinoma had the levels of VEGF (1263.8 pg/ml) significantly higher and of sVEGFR-2 (5893.7 pg/ml) significantly lower in comparison to control group (p