sP-selectin plasma levels in obesity: association with insulin resistance and related metabolic and prothrombotic factors.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) represents a marker of platelet activation. This study was addressed to investigate the associations of sP-sel plasma levels with anthropometric parameters, insulin resistance, and related metabolic and prothrombotic factors. METHODS AND RESULTS: 50 non-diabetic women, 17 with normal weight and 33 overweight and obese, aged 18-55 years, were examined. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), central fat accumulation (evaluated by waist circumference), systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, fasting plasma concentrations of sP-sel, glucose, lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol), insulin, and prothrombotic factors (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen), and insulin resistance (estimated by the homeostasis model assessment: HOMA(IR)). Overweight and obese women had higher fasting plasma sP-sel concentrations compared to normal-weight controls (P<0.05). sP-sel concentrations were positively correlated with BMI, HOMA(IR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, triglyceride and PAI-1 plasma levels (P<0.05 for all the correlations). When a multiple regression analysis was performed, with P-sel as dependent variable and all the other parameters as independent variables, P-sel did not maintain a significant relationship with any of these variables. CONCLUSIONS: s-P-selectin plasma concentrations are higher in overweight and obese insulin resistant subjects, thus possibly contributing to the cardiovascular risk of these patients. However, body fatness and insulin resistance are not independent determinants of fasting plasma sP-sel concentrations.

MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF and CA 15.3 in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of extracellular matrix degrading proteinases. Owing to their matrix-degrading abilities and high expression in advanced tumours, MMPs were originally implicated in cancer progression, invasion and metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, the correlation was determined between the expression of gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in the sera of breast cancer patients from zymographic analysis and serum concentrations of VEGF and CA 15.3, before surgery and after 1 and 6 months; the association of both markers with clinicopathological features including histological type, stage of disease and estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptors status were also analysed. In all, 88 breast cancer patients and 20 healthy women were involved in this study. RESULTS: No statistically significant correlation between pro MMP-2, pro MMP-9, VEGF and CA 15.3 serum levels was found (p>0.05). In breast cancer patients, a significant decrease of the pro MMP-2 serum expression 1 month after surgery with respect to serum levels before surgery (p=0.0008) was evident, as well as of CA 15.3 serum levels at baseline and after 1 month (p=0.017). Moreover a strong decrease of pro MMP-9 serum levels was found in 88 breast cancer patients after 1 month (p=0.028) and after 6 months (p =0.009) from surgery. On the other hand, no significant differences in the serum levels of VEGF, CA 15.3, pro MMP-2 or pro MMP-9 between 88 breast cancer patients preoperatively and 20 healthy women as controls were found. Our findings did indicate a significant positive association between higher preoperative levels of CA 15.3 and progression of disease (p=0.03), as well as a longer disease-free survival in patients who exhibited a decrease of serum pro MMP-9 expression compared to other biomarkers. No relationship between these four markers and the main clinical and pathological parameters was found. CONCLUSION: The present study failed to demonstrate any association between serum levels of MMPs, VEGF and CA 15.3 and well-known clinicopathological characteristics of breast carcinoma, while demonstrating the prognostic value of CA 15.3 and pro MMP-9 in the follow-up of breast cancer patients.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations in hepatocellular cancer patients undergoing percutaneously radiofrequency thermal ablation.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a central role in tumour angiogenesis. However, no data have been published with regard to the clinical-biological significance of serum (S)-VEGF in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients undergoing to percutaneously radiofrequency thermal ablation (PRFA). The aim of this study was to assess the modifications of S-VEGF levels in a series of 28 HCC patients in hepatitis C virus-positive cirrhosis before and after PRFA, respectively. Samples of S were taken before, 2 and 5 days after PRFA respectively and VEGF levels were assessed by ELISA. No significant difference was found between pre- and post-VEGF levels (p= n.s.; by Wilcoxon test). We suggest that S-VEGF level is not useful as early predictive marker of response to PRFA.