Serum endostatin levels are elevated and correlate with serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with stage IV clear cell renal cancer

Andrew L. Feldman, Lawrence Tamarkin, Giulio F. Paciotti, Byron W. Simpson, W. Marston Linehan, James C. Yang, William E. Fogler, Ewa M. Turner, H. Richard Alexander, Steven K. Libutti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

Clear cell renal carcinoma (CCRC) is a highly angiogenic tumor known to secrete vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). Endostatin is an endogenous antiangiogenic agent with antitumor activity in mice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum levels of endostatin in normal subjects and in patients with CCRC and to examine the relationship of these levels to circulating VEGF levels. Fifteen patients (mean age, 48 years) on a clinical protocol for stage IV CCRC at the National Cancer Institute were included in the study. Archived prenephrectomy serum samples were analyzed for endostatin and VEGF concentrations. Endostatin and VEGF levels were compared with those of an age-matched group of volunteer blood donors (n = 18) using a competitive enzyme immunoassay. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Spearman rank correlation. Median serum endostatin levels were 24.6 ng/ml (range, 15.1-54.0 ng/ml) in CCRC patients versus 14.1 ng/ml (range, 1.0-19.3 ng/ml) in healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Median VEGF levels were 3.4 ng/ml (range, 0.1-11.2 ng/ml) and 2.5 ng/ml (range, 0.1-4.2 ng/ml), respectively (P = 0.065). A highly significant correlation was observed between endostatin and VEGF levels among the CCRC patients (r = 0.81, P = 0.0003) but not among controls (r = -0.22, P = 0.37). Endostatin levels are detectable in serum from healthy subjects as well as from CCRC patients. Levels are significantly elevated and correlate with VEGF levels in CCRC patients. Elucidating the nature of this correlation may lend insight into the regulation of tumor angiogenesis in patients with renal cancer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4628-4634
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume6
Issue number12
StatePublished - 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Serum endostatin levels are elevated and correlate with serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with stage IV clear cell renal cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this