SERUM CONCENTRATION OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR CANNOT PREDICT THE COURSE OF SEVERE OVARIAN HYPERSTIMULATION SYNDROME

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is stated to be a possible p romoter of the development and the severity of ovarian hyperstimulatio n syndrome (OHSS), The secretion of VEGF in granulosa cells seems to b e human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) dependent, In this prospective s tudy, the data of 10 patients suffering from severe OHSS with ascites and pleural effusions (haematocrit, fluid balance, serum HCG, serum oe stradiol) were analysed, The serum VEGF concentration declined during the period of clinical improvement but provided no additional diagnost ic information for the further course of OHSS. VEGF was neither an ear ly marker of improvement, nor of worsening of the clinical picture of the OHSS, Serum oestradiol concentrations and serum VEGF concentration s showed a statistical correlation (r = 0.33, P < 0.001), There was no correlation between haematocrit and VEGF, nor between serum HCG and V EGF, To conclude, although VEGF may be involved in the pathogenesis of OHSS, it is not an important clinical marker for the course of an OHS S.