ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Cerebral vascular malformations are the leading cause of hemorrhagic apoplexy in young adults, and the rupture and bleeding of malformed vessels may cause severe neurological dysfunction. The mechanism of cerebral vascular malformations remains unclear. Modern molecular biology studies have shown that, angiogenic growth factors are abnormal y expressed in cerebral vascular malformations. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate differences in the expression of angiogenic growth factors in cerebral vascular malformations, and discuss the possible relationship between cerebral vascular malformations and angiogenic growth factors. METHODS:Fifty patients with cerebral vascular malformations and fifty patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were included in this study. The expressions of angiogenic growth factor (vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-α) in the cerebral vascular malformation specimens and the normal superficial temporal artery specimens were detected with immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the normal superficial temporal artery of intracerebral hemorrhage patients, no expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-αwas found;in the vascular malformations, they were highly expressed (P<0.05). Compared with normal blood vessels, vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-αexpression was significantly increased in patients with cerebral vascular malformations.