Angiogenic potential of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with high-grade gliomas measured with the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay (CAM)

• Published in: Biological research 2012, Vol.45 (2), p.135-138
• Main Authors: Sinning, Mariana, Letelier, René, Rosas, Carlos, Fuenzalida, Marcela, Lemus, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; angiogenesis; Animals; BIOLOGY; Brain Neoplasms - blood supply; Brain Neoplasms - cerebrospinal fluid; Case-Control Studies; cerebrospinal fluid; Cerebrospinal Fluid - physiology; Chick Embryo; Chorioallantoic Membrane - blood supply; Craniotomy; glioblastoma; Glioma - blood supply; Glioma - cerebrospinal fluid; high-grade glioma; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neovascularization, Pathologic - etiology; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis
• ISSN: 0716-9760; 0717-6287
• DOI: 10.4067/S0716-97602012000200005

High-grade gliomas are highly vascularized tumors. Neo-angiogenesis plays a key role in tumor growth and resistance to therapy. A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample could be a useful way to obtain pro-angiogenic predictive or prognostic markers at different stages of the disease. As a first step we looked for pro-angiogenic activity in the CSF of patients with high-grade gliomas. We performed the chicken embryo chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) assay to study the angiogenic potential of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), obtained either by lumbar puncture (LP) or craniotomy from six patients with high-grade brain tumors (three glioblastoma (WHO grade IV), one anaplastic oligodendroglioma (WHO grade III), two anaplastic ganglioglioma (WHO grade III)), and four healthy controls. Significantly increased neo-angiogenesis was observed on the surface of the growing CAM in the 6 patients with high-grade gliomas compared to controls (3.69 ± 1.23 versus 2.16 ± 0.97 capillaries per area (mean ± SD), p