Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation to portal vein thrombosis and other disease characteristics

ABSTRACT

Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] is the most potent angiogenic factor known so far and it plays an important role in tumor biology. Elevated level of VEGF has been associated with poor prognosis in many cancers; however significance in hepatocellular carcinoma is still controversial. Was to evaluate serum VEGF level in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with or without portal vein thrombosis [PVT] compared to liver cirrhosis patients and healthy subjects and to study possible relation of other clinical and laboratory findings to VEGF level. Serum VEGF level was measured in 20 cirrhotic patients complicated with HCC and PVT, 20 cirrhotic patients complicated with HCC with no portal vein thrombosis, another 20 cirrhotic patients matched for Child-Pugh score 20 he1thy subjects matched for age and sex. VEGF level was compared across different groups, its level was evaluated hug to tumour size, Okuda stage, Child-Pugh class and etiology of liver disease. Serum VEGF was not significantly different between HCC patients with or without PVT, neither a significant as found between HCC patients and liver cirrhosis patients. Yet VEGF level was significantly higher in all cases of liver cirrhosis compared to control subjects. No significant relation was found between serum VEGF level and any of tumour size, Okuda stage. Alpha fetoprotein, Child-Pugh class or etiology of liver disease. VEGF level is elevated in patients with liver cirrhosis even prior to the emergence HCC