Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with acromegaly

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be linked to retinal ischemia-associated neovascularization. It was recently found that insulin- like growth factor-I (IGF-I) enhances VEGF gene expression. In this study w e investigated whether plasma VEGF levels are increased in patients with ac romegaly, a disease in which plasma IGF-l levels are elevated, and whether plasma VEGF levels are correlated with plasma IGF-I levels in these patient s. We retrospectively analyzed plasma samples from 13 active acromegalic pa tients (7 males and 6 females) aged 33 to 66 years, with a mean age of 52.3 +/- 10.8 years. The results were compared with plasma VEGF levels in 16 ag e- and sex-matched, healthy subjects (9 males and 7 females) aged 22 to 66 years, with a mean age of 52.4 +/- 11.5 years. Plasma VEGF levels were not higher in the acromegalic patients than in the healthy subjects (253 +/- 61 vs. 197 +/- 30 pg/mL, P = 0.39). In 5 patients plasma VEGF levels were rat her slightly increased after pituitary adenomectomy while one patient showe d a reduced plasma VEGF level. In addition there was no correlation between plasma VEGF and GH or IGF-I levels. These data indicate that plasma VEGF l evels are not increased in patients with acromegaly and that serum VEGF may play a less important role in the neovascularization in the carcinogenesis and/or disturbances of the cardiovascular system in patients with acromega ly.