Levels of activated platelet-derived microvesicles in patients with soft tissue sarcoma correlate with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism

• Published in: BMC cancer 2017-08, Vol.17 (1), p.527-527, Article 527
• Main Authors: Fricke, A, Ullrich, P V, Cimniak, A F V, Becherer, C, Follo, M, Heinz, J, Scholber, J, Herget, G W, Hauschild, O, Wittel, U A, Stark, G B, Bannasch, H, Braig, D, Eisenhardt, S U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Annexin A5 - metabolism; Annexin V; Antigens; biomarker; Biomarkers; Blood platelets; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Breast cancer; Care and treatment; Case-Control Studies; CD45 antigen; CD63 antigen; Cell-Derived Microparticles - metabolism; Coagulation; Endothelium; FACS; Flow Cytometry; Gene expression; Health risk assessment; Humans; Inflammatory diseases; Leukocytes - metabolism; Melanoma; Microvesicles; Middle Aged; Peripheral blood; Platelet Activation; Platelets; Postoperative Period; Preoperative Period; Pulmonary arteries; Risk; Risk factors; Sarcoma; Sarcoma - complications; Sarcoma - metabolism; Sarcoma - surgery; Skin cancer; Soft tissue sarcoma; Thromboembolism; Thrombosis; Tissues; Tumors; Venous Thromboembolism - blood; Venous Thromboembolism - etiology
• ISSN: 1471-2407; 1471-2407
• DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3515-y

Microvesicles are small vesicles expressing specific antigens from their cells of origin. Elevated levels of microvesicles have been shown to be associated with coagulation disorders as well as with different types of malignancies. This study aims to evaluate a possible correlation of different microvesicle subpopulations with a positive history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Annexin V - positive microvesicles, leukocyte (CD45-positive), platelet (CD61-positive), activated platelet (CD62P-, CD63-positive), endothelium-derived (CD62E-positive) and tissue-factor (CD142-positive) microvesicles were identified in the peripheral blood of patients with soft tissue sarcoma (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 17) using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Both the total amount of Annexin V-positive microvesicles and levels of endothelium-derived (CD62E-positive) microvesicles were shown to decrease significantly after tumor resection (n = 18, p = 0.0395 and p = 0.0109, respectively). Furthermore, the total amount of Annexin V - positive microvesicles as well as leukocyte (CD45-positive) and endothelium-derived (CD62E-positive) microvesicles were significantly higher in patients with grade 3 (G3) soft tissue sarcoma (n = 9) compared to healthy controls (n = 17) (p = 0.0304, p = 0.0254 and p = 0.0357, respectively). Moreover, patients with G3 soft tissue sarcoma (n = 9) presented higher levels of Annexin V-positive and endothelium-derived (CD62E-positive) microvesicles compared to patients with grade 2 (G2) soft tissue sarcoma (n = 8) (p = 0.0483 and p = 0.0045). Patients with grade 1 (G1) soft tissue sarcoma (n = 3) presented with significantly lower levels of platelet (CD61-positive) microvesicles than patients with G3 soft tissue sarcoma (n = 9) (p = 0.0150). In patients with a positive history of VTE (n = 11), significantly higher levels of activated platelet (CD62P- and CD63-positive) microvesicles (p = 0.0078 and p = 0.0450, respectively) were found compared to patients without a history of VTE (n = 28). We found significantly higher levels of Annexin V-positive and endothelium-derived (CD62E-positive) microvesicles to be circulating in the peripheral blood of patients with G3 soft tissue sarcoma compared to patients with G2 soft tissue sarcoma. Furthermore, we showed that high counts of activated platelet-derived microvesicles correlate with the occurrence of VTE. Thus, the detection of these microvesicles might be