Assesment of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in CSF for the diagnosis of CNS disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract EN

Background and purpose : Angiogenesis is an important component in the progression and metastasis of solid tumors.

Angiogenesis is also critically involved in the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies.

Current data suggest important prognostic and therapeutic implications of angiogenesis in a variety of malignancies of the hematopoietic system, including acute and chronic leukemia's, myeloproliferative diseases, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease.

This study aims at clarifying the role of antigenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and end statin in the pathogenesis of leukemia and lymphoma in children and to asses if these factors can be used as a prognostic factor for leukemia and lymphoma.

Materials and methods : the present study examined the levels of VEGF and end statin using ELISA technique in 40 cases, 20 cases presenting with acute leukemia (13 with ALL and 7 with AML) and 20 cases presenting with lymphoma (13 with NHL and 7 with HD).

Results : serum levels of VEGF and end statin were significantly higher at diagnosis and after complete remission than controls.

Serum levels of VEGF have significant correlation with platelets, WBCs, Hb concentration and end statin at diagnosis in cases of leukemia and lymphoma, but have no significant correlation with age.

Serum levels of end statin have significant correlations with Hb concentration and VEGF, but have no significant correlation with age, platelets count and WBCs.

No significant differences could be found in serum VEGF and end statin in different types of leukemia and lymphoma and patients with orga-nomegaly or without organomegaly.

Conclusions: These data suggest that VEGF and end statin expression ascribes an important role in children with leukemia and lymphoma.

They may have a prognostic role for follow up of cases with leukemia and lymphoma.