Significance of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis |
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Authors: | Masaru Ando Eishi Miyazaki Takeo Ito Shigeo Hiroshige Shin-ich Nureki Takuya Ueno Ryuichi Takenaka Tetsujiro Fukami Toshihide Kumamoto |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Internal Medicine 3, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Idaigaoka 1-1, Hasama, Yufu, Oita 879-5593, Japan |
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Abstract: | Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis
of fibrotic lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to examine the clinical
significance of the serum VEGF level for evaluating disease severity and progression. The levels of VEGF in serum were measured
in 41 patients with IPF, 14 patients with lung cancer, and 43 healthy volunteers. We measured the serum levels of CRP, LDH,
KL-6, SP-D, and the parameters obtained from arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary function tests. High-resolution computed
tomography (HRCT) was performed to determine the extent of the interstitial and the alveolar opacities. The ability of each
biomarker to predict disease severity was estimated by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve
(AUC). The VEGF levels of IPF patients with high alveolar–arterial difference of oxygen (AaDO2) levels were significantly elevated than those with low AaDO2 levels and those of healthy volunteers. When examined within the IPF group, a significant positive correlation was found
between the VEGF levels and the HRCT interstitial score (p = 0.027) and the KL-6 levels (p = 0.037). Among several serum biomarkers, VEGF showed the largest AUC for predicting disease severity as defined by a high
AaDO2 value. There was an inverse correlation between the baseline VEGF level and the monthly change in percent predicted vital
capacity. The serum VEGF level may reflect the severity of IPF and offer clinical benefits to predict the disease’s progression. |
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