Patients Treated with Antitumor Drugs Displaying Neurological Deficits Are Characterized by a Low Circulating Level of Nerve Growth Factor

• Published in: Clinical cancer research 2000-01, Vol.6 (1), p.90-95
• Main Authors: DE SANTIS, S, PACE, A, MANZIONE, L, ALOE, L, BOVE, L, COGNETTI, F, PROPERZI, F, FIORE, M, TRIACA, V, SAVARESE, A, SIMONE, M. D, JANDOLO, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - blood; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Nerve Growth Factors - blood; Neurologic Examination; Neurons, Afferent - physiology; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Paresthesia - chemically induced; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - blood; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - chemically induced; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Peroneal Nerve - physiopathology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Sural Nerve - physiopathology; Toxicity: nervous system and muscle
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

The aim of our study was to explore whether nerve growth factor (NGF) plays any role in the development of peripheral neuropathy induced by anticancer treatment. We measured the circulating NGF levels in 23 cancer patients before and after chemotherapy. We evaluated whether the development of peripheral neurotoxicity was associated with changes in basal NGF concentrations in patients studied with a comprehensive neurological and neurophysiological examination. The results of these studies showed that the circulating levels of NGF, which are about 20 pg/ml in plasma of controls, decrease during chemotherapy and in some cases completely disappeared after prolonged treatment with antitumor agents. The decrease in NGF levels seems to be correlated with the severity of neurotoxicity. These results clearly suggest that NGF might become a useful agent to prevent neuropathies induced by antineoplastic drugs and restore peripheral nerve dysfunction induced by these pharmacological compounds.