I. Baumgartner et al., Lower-extremity edema associated with gene transfer of naked DNA encoding vascular endothelial growth factor, ANN INT MED, 132(11), 2000, pp. 880-884
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes angiogenesis
and vascular permeability. The extent to which VEGF may cause tissue edema
in humans has not been established.
Objective: To evaluate patients undergoing VEGF gene transfer for evidence
of lower-extremity edema.
Design: Prospective consecutive case series.
Setting: Hospital outpatient clinic.
Patients: 62 patients with critical limb ischemia and 28 patients with clau
dication.
Intervention: Gene transfer of VECF DNA.
Measurements: Semiquantitative analysis of lower-extremity edema.
Results: Lower-extremity edema was observed in 31 of 90 (34%) patients. Ede
ma was less common in patients with claudication than in those with pain at
rest (P = 0.016) or ischemic ulcers (P < 0.001), and it was less common in
patients with pain at rest than in those with ischemic ulcers (P = 0.017).
Treatment was typically limited to a brief course of oral diuretics.
Conclusions: Vascular endothelial growth factor may enhance vascular permea
bility in humans. At the doses of plasmid DNA used in this study, lower-ext
remity edema responded to oral diuretic therapy and did not seem to be asso
ciated with serious sequelae.