Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in sera and lymph nodes of the plasma cell type of Castleman's disease

To evaluate the possible involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of Castleman's disease, we studied VEGF levels i n sera and supernatants of cultured lymph nodes from two patients with the plasma cell type of Castleman's disease, and analysed the expression of VEG F immunohistochemically in the lymph nodes. Clinically, one patient was cla ssified as the localized type and the other as the multicentric type. Histo logically, mature plasma cells and hyalinized vessels were prominent in the interfollicular region. The VEGF levels of the sera and the supernatants o f cultured lymph nodes of both patients were higher than those of normal co ntrols. VEGF was strongly expressed in plasma cells in the interfollicular region of the lymph nodes of both patients, but rarely in normal lymph node s. Our results suggest that VEGF may be involved in the marked vascular pro liferation in the interfollicular region of the lymph nodes of the plasma c ell type of Castleman's disease.