QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF BASIC FIBROBLAST-GROWTH-FACTOR AND VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR IN HUMAN COLORECTAL-CANCER

Tumour growth is angiogenesis dependent. Some authors suggest a progno stic role of microvessel count in colorectal cancer. We tested the rol e of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial gr owth factor (VEGF) in the switch to the angiogenic phenotype in 35 pat ients with colorectal cancer at different stages of disease. We evalua ted the two angiogenic factors, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA), in tumour, peritumoral mucosa, pathological mesenteric and per ipheral blood. We used ten endoscopic intestinal biopsies and ten peri pheral blood samples from healthy subjects as control. bFGF was signif icantly lower in tumour tissues and in peritumoral mucosas than in hea lthy mucosas, whereas VEGF was up-regulated in tumours but not in peri tumoral mucosa. Both angiogenic factors were greatly increased in mese nteric blood. VEGF tumour and serum levels were significantly correlat ed with the stage of disease. bFGF tumour and serum concentration were not correlated with the stage of disease. The high levels of bFGF in mesenteric blood suggest that this growth factor might be abnormally r eleased from tumour tissue and peritumoral mucosa and could function a s an early effector in the switch to the angiogenic phenotype. In cont rast, VEGF, whose levels show a significant correlation with the stage of disease, could act in a following step, supporting tumour progress ion.