Факторы роста сосудистой сети в плазме и сыворотке крови у педиатрических пациентов с саркомами и незлокачественными заболеваниями опорно-двигательного аппарата

Introduction. Tumor angiogenesis is interesting as a prognostic biomarker of malignant tumors and the target for vascular therapy. At the moment, there is not sufficient research base for assessing the role of angiogenesis factors in pediatric patients with bone and soft tissue neoplasms. Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of the circulating angiogenic factor levels in children with and sarcomas of bone and soft tissue and without oncologic pathology. Patients and Methods . We investigated the circulating angiogenic factors: VEGF-A165 (VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor), VEGFC, soluble forms of VEGFR1, and VEGFR2 receptors. Plasma and serum samples were obtained from 88 individuals (32 cases of confirmed malignant lesions). Results. Levels of VEGF-A165, VEGFC, and sVEGFR2 receptor in plasma and serum had no statistically significant differences in compared groups. A definite increase in VEGF-A165 level was determined in a group of patients with tumors (malignant or non-malignant). A large concentration of VEGF-A165 was observed in the group with a localized cancer process versus the group with metastatic disease (data is not statistically significant). The higher level of plasma sVEGFR1 was detected in patients with metastases at diagnosis compared with localized disease cohort (р<0.05). Discussion. Levels of the angiogenesis factors (VEGFA, VEGF-A165, VEGFC, sVEGFR2) in plasma and serum do not serve as markers of cancer pathology and do not reflect the dissemination of cancer process. Probably the physiological development of a child dissembles quantitative changes in factors caused by tumor angiogenesis. A soluble form of the VEGFR1 receptor should be studied to assess the possibility of early prediction of tumor metastasis. Conclusions. The studied markers of angiogenesis in plasma and serum do not clearly differentiate between the benign and malignant process in the body of a child. Perhaps, a wider range of markers studied in the tumor tissue will be more informative.