Circulating numbers of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with gastric and breast cancer

• Published in: Cancer letters 2003-07, Vol.198 (1), p.83-88
• Main Authors: Kyung Kim, Hyun, Soon Song, Kyung, Ok Kim, Hyun, Chung, Jun-Ho, Rhan Lee, Kyoung, Lee, Young-Joon, Ho Lee, Dae, Sook Lee, Eun, Kyun Kim, Hark, Won Ryu, Keun, Bae, Jae-Moon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Angiogenic factor; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - blood supply; Endothelial Growth Factors - blood; Endothelial progenitor cells; Endothelium - cytology; Female; Flow cytometry; Gastric cancer; Heart attacks; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - blood; Lectins; Lymphokines - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mobilization; Myeloid Progenitor Cells; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plasma; Regression analysis; Rodents; Statistical analysis; Stomach Neoplasms - blood supply; Tumors; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
• ISSN: 0304-3835; 1872-7980
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3835(03)00268-4

Angiogenic factors like VEGF or G-CSF were reported to mobilize endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the bone marrow. These EPCs were shown to be incorporated in the neovessels of developing tumors. Although the concentrations of angiogenic factors in the peripheral blood were reported to be elevated in cancer patients, the number of circulating EPCs has not been previously investigated. In this study, the number of EPCs circulating in the blood in 16 healthy controls and 71 newly diagnosed cancer patients was examined by a culture assay of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The number of circulating EPCs was not found to be increased in cancer patients, although the plasma levels of VEGF were elevated. It is suggested that VEGF, at concentrations typical of those observed in the blood of cancer patients, does not mobilize EPCs into the peripheral blood.