Angiogenesis in acute and chronic leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes

Angiogenesis has been associated with the growth, dissemination, and metast asis of solid tumors. The aims of this study were to evaluate the vasculari ty and the levels of angiogenic factors in patients with acute and chronic leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), The numbers of blood vessels were measured in 145 bone marrow biopsies and the levels of vascular endot helial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), tumor n ecrosis growth factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), tumor growth factor-alpha (TGF-alp ha), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were determined in 417 plasma sampl es. Except for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), vascularity was signific antly higher in all leukemias and MDS compared with control bone marrows. T he highest number of blood vessels and largest vascular area were found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), VEGF, bFGF, and HGF plasma levels were sign ificantly increased in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), CML, CLL, chronic myel omonocytic leukemia (CMML), and MDS, HGF, TNF-alpha, and bFGF but not VEGF were significantly increased in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), TNF-alp ha levels were significantly increased in all diseases except for AML and M DS, No significant increase was found in TGF-alpha in any leukemia or MDS. The highest plasma levels of VEGF were in CML, and the highest plasma level s of bFGF were in CLL. The levels of HGF were highest in CMML. These data s uggest that vascularity and angiogenic factors are increased in leukemias a nd MDS and may play a role in the leukemogenic process. (Blood, 2000;96:224 0-2245) (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology.