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Role of vascular endothelial growth factor as a tumour marker in osteosarcoma: a prospective study

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Abstract

Purpose

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with primary localised osteosarcoma.

Methods

Serum VEGF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in blood samples collected prechemotherapy, postchemotherapy, and postsurgery in 40 patients with histologically proven primary osteosarcoma. Comparison was made between serum VEGF level of healthy controls (n = 10) and prechemotherapy patient sera to evaluate its diagnostic potential. Serum VEGF levels of patients with and without metastasis were compared. Immunohistochemical staining was done to establish the correlation between serum and tissue VEGF expression. The Kaplan–Meier curve was used for survival analysis

Results

No significant relationship was observed between serum VEGF levels and age, gender, tumour size, local recurrence or histopathological subtypes of osteosarcoma. We observed significantly raised mean serum VEGF in patient sera compared with healthy controls (p = 0.001). Significant fall in mean serum VEGF level was observed following chemotherapy (p = 0.001). Patients who developed metastases had significantly higher serum VEGF levels compared with the nonmetastatic group (P = 0.001). Serum VEGF levels correlated well with VEGF expression in tissues.

Conclusion

Serum VEGF levels might prove to be of diagnostic, predictive and prognostic value in patients with primary osteosarcoma, although further studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up is needed to support the hypothesis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors have not received any fund or grant from any professional body or institution. We thank Dr. Shyam Prakash for helping in laboratory analysis of the serum samples. We also thank Mr. Guresh Kumar for statistical support.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 29, India

    Shishir Rastogi, Ramakant Kumar, Sukesh Rao Sankineani, Kanniraj Marimuthu, Laxman Rijal, Divesh Jalan & Shah Alam Khan

  2. Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Gastroenterology, AIIMS, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 29, India

    Shyam Prakash

  3. Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 29, India

    Mehar C. Sharma

Authors
  1. Shishir Rastogi
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  2. Ramakant Kumar
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  3. Sukesh Rao Sankineani
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  4. Kanniraj Marimuthu
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  5. Laxman Rijal
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  6. Shyam Prakash
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  9. Mehar C. Sharma
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramakant Kumar.

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Rastogi, S., Kumar, R., Sankineani, S.R. et al. Role of vascular endothelial growth factor as a tumour marker in osteosarcoma: a prospective study. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 36, 2315–2321 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1663-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1663-x

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