Serum soluble VCAM: A surrogate marker of angiogenesis

Purpose: Angiogenesis is essential for tumour growth and metastasis. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-l (VCAM) and endothelial-selectin (ESEL) are expressed on activated endothelial cells and we hypothesized that their measurement in serum would be an accurate measurement of tumour angiogenssis Methods: Preoperative serurn levels of VCAM, ESEL and VWF (another EC marker) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 93 women with early breast cancer and levels were correlated with histological prognostic features and the microvessel density in each tumour (assessed by CD31 imrnunostaining). Sequential serum samples were taken from 55 women with advanced breast cancer, immediately prior to a change in hormonal therapy and 3 months later. Changes in serum VCAM, ESEL and VWF were c:ompared to the response of the disease assessed by UICC criteria at 6 months. Results: In early breast cancer serum VCAM, not ESEL or VWF, correlated with the microvessel density (r = 0.66, p c 0.001) in each tumour whilst in advanced disease serum VCAM levels, not ESEL or VWF, rose in those women whose disease progressed (p < 0.001) but levels remained unchanged or fell in those women whose disease remained stable or showed a partial response to therapy. Conclusion: Serum VCAM is a surrogate marker of angiogenesis in breast cancer and its measurement may help in the assessment of antiangiogenic drugs currently in phase II trials.