Transforming growth factor beta and other angiogenic factors in hematologic malignancies of childhood

Angiogenesis, a process of new blood vessels formation from an existing vasculature, has been blamed for growth, dissimination and metastasis of solid tumors. Little is known about angiogenesis and angiogenesis- related molecules in hematologic malignancies. Transforming growth factor-beta [TGF- beta] and platelet-derived growth factor-C [PDGF-C] are considered as indirect angiogenic factors in tumorigenesis. Gangliosides and hyaluronan are components of cell membrane that modulate cell membrane signal transduction of multiple growth factors. The aim of this study is to assess serum levels of TGF- beta, PDGF-C, Gangliosides, and hyaluronan in children with newly diagnosed malignancies including 15 cases with acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], 15 cases with non Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], and 10 cases with neuroblastoma. Ten matchable apparently healthy children were included as controls. Results of the study showed that cases as a whole had significantly higher levels of TGF-beta, PDGF-C, gangliosides and hyaluronan than controls. Furthermore cases with hematologic malignancies as well as those with neuroblastoma had significantly higher levels of the studied parameters than controls. On comparing the different groups of cases with each other, it was found that cases with ALL and NHL had significantly higher level of TGF-beta than cases with neuroblastoma whereas the latter group had significantly higher level of gangliosides than ALL and NHL groups and higher level of hyaluronan than ALL group. Cases of NHL and neuroblastoma with advanced disease had significantly higher levels of the studied parameters than the rest of cases. In conclusion the angiogeneic factors TGF-beta, PDGF-C, gangliosides, and hyaluronan are raised in children with ALL and NHL as well as in those with neuroblastoma. Their levels are significantly higher in severer cases with advanced stages of malignancy. The estimation of their levels therefore not only points to the severity but also help to predict progress in these cases

Effect of P53 antibodies, interleukin-10, platelet derived growth factor and nitric oxide on apoptosis in discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis

This study included seventy patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE, twenty-five patients], systemic sclerosis [SSc, twenty-five patients] and discoid lupus erythematosus [DLE, twenty patients]. The study also included fifteen healthy subjects of comparable age as controls. P53 antibodies were detected in 32% of SLE, 20% SSc and 10% of DLE patients, while they were undetectable in sera of the controls. Serum IL-10, PDGF and NO were significantly higher in SLE, SSc and DLE compared with controls [except for PDGF in DLE]. NO and PDGF were significantly higher in SLE than either SSc or DLE patients. Circulating P53 antibodies were significantly correlated with IL-10, PDGF and NO in all studied groups of patients. Only in SLE patients, disease activity score significantly correlated with the studied bioindices except IL-10. From the revealed results, patients with SLE, SSc and DLE had changes in the aforementioned biochemical factors which might had a role in the defective apoptotic process which occurs in these autoimmune diseases