Evaluation of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and B cell lymphocyte/ leukemia 2 [Bcl-2] protein levels in vitreous humor and serum of patients with proliferate diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy [DR] is one of the most common microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the proliferative stage of DR, neovascularization on the retina and the posterior surface of the vitreous occur. Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] is considered to be the most potent factor for retinal neovascularization. Several hypotheses were thought to be involved in the endothelial cell survival activity of VEGF; among them is its ability to induce antiapoptotic proteins like B-cell Lymphocyte/ Leukemia 2 [Bcl-2]. Aim of the study was evaluating the levels of VEGF and Bcl-2 protein in the vitreous humor and sera of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy [PDR]. The patients group included twenty five type 2 diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy and subjected to vitrectomy, and fifteen non-diabetic individuals subjected to vitrectomy for various non proliferative ocular diseases were taken as a control group. All the participants were subjected to a thorough physical examination and full ophthalmologic evaluation. Laboratory investigations included measurement of serum levels and activities of glucose, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases [ALT and AST], as well as the percentage of whole blood glycated hemoglobin [HbA[1c]. The VEGF and Bcl-2 were measured in the vitreous humor and sera of all studied subjects using enzyme immunoassays. The VEGF and Bcl-2 levels were found to be significantly increased in the vitreous humor of patients with proliferative DR when compared to their corresponding control group [p=0.001 andp-0.003 respectively]. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was noted between both groups regarding serum values of both VEGF and Bcl-2 [p> 0.05]. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between serum Bcl-2 and serum VEGF in the patients group [r= 0.463, p= 0.020]. The significantly higher values of VEGF and Bcl-2 in the vitreous humor of patients with PDR, with the lack of such findings in their sera, suggest that both factors are implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease, and support the hypothesis that their increased levels in the vitreous is attributed to intraocular synthesis, in response to retinal hypoxia and ischemia, rather than to serum filtration. Furthermore, the significant correlation between both VEGF and Bcl-2 in serum of PDR patients could be related to the VEGF ability to induce pathological angiogenesis in PDR through the up regulation of the anti apoptotic protein Bcl-2 that promotes new vessels survival rendering their vitreous levels high which would probably be reflected on their serum levels as neovascularization is the main pathology in the PDR

Serum epidermal growth factor in cancer breast

Several prognostic factors are evaluated in the breast carcinoma and there is a need o- new markers for better discrimination of the biologic differences in the primary tumor. Epidermal growth factor [EGF] is presumed to play an important role in the local regulation of cell proliferation so, the aim of the current study, was to evaluate the serum level of EGF in breast cancer female patients in comparison with other prognostic parameters. It was carried out r fifty-seven females divided into two groups. A control group of twenty healthy women of comparable age and socioeconomic status with a group of thirty-seven breast cancer patients. All females were chosen non-pregnant, not on contraceptive therapy, not previously exposed to radiation, and have no previous history of cancer. To all patients, thorough clinical examination, plain X-ray for the chest and ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis were done. Preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology was also done for their breast lumps. In addition, blood samples where collected and analyzed for hemoglobin, fasting serum glucose, urea, and creatinine levels, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities, and also the epidermal growth factor level. The breast cancer tissues, removed by surgery, were subjected to histopathologic examination. The median of serum EGF in breast cancer patients group was relatively lower than that in control group but it did not reach the level of significance. No significant differences between the serum EGF levels were found in relation to the change in tumor size, type, grade, and stage. However, there was positive correlations between EGF level and tumor size [r=0.341, p=0.039] and AJCC stages [r0.354, p=0.032]. Also, in patients without lymph node metastasis, there were positive correlations between serum EGF level and both tumor size [r=0.596, p=0.024] and AJCC stages [r=0.596, p=0.024]. In patients having lymph node metastasis, there was significant negative correlation between serum EGF level and the number of lymph node metastasis [r=-0.859, p<0.001].There was significant increase in EGF level in patients having lymph node metastasis [3 LN] metastasis was significantly increased than that in both patients having no LN metastasis [p=0.01 9] and patients having