Clinical Significance of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Complement 3a Levels in Patients with Colorectal Cancer in Southern Iran

Abstract

Background: Colon cancer (CRC) is perhaps the second most common cause of cancer mortality. This study determined the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and serum complement 3a (C3a) levels in patients with CRC in Fars province, southern Iran. Materials and Methods: Between June 2010 and June 2012, 110 patients with CRC of both genders and different age groups were divided into 3 groups. Group A included patients who had just undergone surgery; Group B had undergone chemotherapy after surgery; and Group C had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy after surgery. Twenty one healthy subjects with normal colonoscopy were considered as a control group. ELISA was undertaken to determine VEGF and C3a levels before and after treatment measures. Results: The mean age of patients was 53.9±14.1 years. Considering VEGF level, a significant decrease was visible after treatment measures in groups A and B, but not Group C. For VEGF level, the difference was not statistically significant between two genders and various age groups before and after treatment. No significant difference was found for VEGF level between patients and normal group before any treatment. Regarding C3a levels in 101 subjects, they significantly decreased after treatment measures. Before and after treatment, the difference was statistically significant between two genders, but was not statistically significant among various age groups. Conclusions: As VEGF and C3a levels were significantly lower in patients after treatment, these may be beneficial markers in assessment of CRC therapy especially in early stages.

Naphthazarin suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells via the B-cell lymphoma 2/B-cell associated X protein signaling pathway

“…The highest mortality rates occur in Central and Eastern European countries, and the lowest (15). In China in 2009, colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates were higher than the world averages: Rates were than lower that observed in Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than that of countries such as Iran, Laos and India (16,17). In the present study, it was demonstrated that naphthazarin significantly decreased cell viability, increased cytotoxicity and induced cellular and nuclear apoptosis of SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner.…”

Circulating Levels of VEGF and CXCL1 Are Predictive of Metastatic Organotropismin in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

“…An increase in VEGF expression in tumour tissue or blood compartments (i.e. serum or plasma) has been found in solid and hematological malignancies of various origins and is associated with metastasis formation and poor prognosis (15,16). By multivariate analysis of molecular markers for detection of liver metastases after surgery in patients with colorectal cancer, it was demonstrated that a combination of markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and VEGF could be an effective method for predicting liver metastases in patients with colorectal cancer (17).…”

Preoperative albumin-to-globulin ratio as a significant prognostic indicator in urologic cancers: a meta-analysis

“…Prior studies had reported that inflammatory proteins were associated with tumor prognosis and progression, and displayed the predictive significance in different human cancers. For example, patients with elevated preoperative CRP had a poor survival in UTUC, 58 – 60 and high complement 3 levels were shown to be related to poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer, 61 and an increased preoperative gamma globulin levels predicted poor survival in lung cancer. 62 In addition, the globulins were shown to be closely related with chronic inflammation.…”