Serum concentrations of growth factors in women with and without endometriosis: the action of anti-endometriosis medicines

Ioannis Matalliotakis, I M Matalliotakis, Matalliotakis IM, A G Goumenou, Anastasia G. Goumenou, Goumenou AG, Koumantakis GE, Georgios Koumantakis, G E Koumantakis, M A Neonaki, Neonaki MA, M Neonaki, E Koumantakis, E E Koumantakis, Koumantakis EE, E Dionyssopoulou, Eva Dionyssopoulou, Irene Athanassakis, I Athanassakis, Athanassakis I, S. Vassiliadis, Vassiliadis S
International Immunopharmacology · 2003 · vol. 3(1) , pp. 81–89 · doi:10.1016/s1567-5769(02)00216-3 · PMID:12538037 · W1969551578
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Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) levels were higher in women with endometriosis compared to controls, and danazol treatment decreased sVEGF while increasing sEGF-R.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic syndrome of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Growth factors and inflammatory mediators produced by peritoneal leukocytes have recently been postulated to participate in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Angiogenic factors released from peritoneal macrophages may also play a role in the development of this disease. In the present study, we investigate the soluble levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGF-R), granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in the serum of 28 women with and 20 without endometriosis. We also compared these levels before, during and after treatment with danazol and leuprorelin acetate depot, the two therapeutic regiments of choice concerning this disease. We found that only sVEGF levels were higher in women with endometriosis in comparison to controls (P < 0.001) while sEGF-R is not present. GM-CSF, IGF-1 and IFN-gamma soluble levels are not affected in either healthy or endometriotic subjects. The 6-month treatment with danazol decreased sVEGF levels (P < 0.02) and increased sEGF-R levels (P < 0.001). These observations support the view that VEGF may be associated with the disease process and that danazol may bring sVEGF levels to a normal threshold. However, future studies will be focused on the anti-angiogenic control of the action of VEGF in patients with endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Adult Danazol Danazol Delayed-Action Preparations Endometriosis Endothelial Growth Factors Endothelial Growth Factors ErbB Receptors ErbB Receptors Female Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Humans Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Interferon-gamma

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