Circulating angiogenic factors in patients with chronic liver diseases

ABSTRACT

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth Factor [PD-ECGF], basic fibroblast growth factor [b-FGF], gangliosides [Gs] and nitric oxide [NO] are angiogenic factors expressed in various cancer tissues as well as non malignant tissues. Little is known about the role of these factors in patients with chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis [CH], cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] with cirrhosis. The levels of these factors were determined in 28 patients with chronic hepatitis, 43 with cirrhosis and 29 patients with HCC. The study also included 18 normal individuals who are comparable to patients in age as a control group. The study revealed that the levels of these angiogenic factors are significantly increased in patients with HCC in comparison with either patients with hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. Moreover, both Gs and NO are also increased in patients with cirrhosis in comparison with controls. In HCC the levels of angiogenic factors reflected tumor burden where they were significantly increased in higher burden. These angiogenic factors are derived from HCC cells as well as inflammatory cells. In cirrhosis the elevation of these factors might be related to the extent of inflammation and angiogenesis in the cirrhotic liver. These factors showed significant positive correlations with liver enzymes in HCC. Assessment of the angiogenic factors in patients with chronic liver diseases would help to follow progression of liver affection. The expression of PD-ECGF in HCC would predict its chemosensitivity