Article Text
Abstract
Introduction/Background Angiogenesis is a hallmark of BC. Heparin-binding-EGF-like (HB-EGF) belongs to epidermal growing factors (EGF) family and binds to EGFR. In combination to platelet-derived growing factor (PDGF) it induces tumor growth. In triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) HB-EGF is associated with aggressiveness. VEGF co-receptor neurolipin-1 is also involved in VEGF pathway.
Methodology We measured serum levels of VEGF, HB-EGF, PDGF and neuropilin-1 in patients diagnosed with early BC in Saint-Savvas Hospital and healthy donors (HD), using ELISA. All individuals signed an informed consent.
Results Sixty patients with early BC and 20 HD were included. Serum concentrations of all biomarkers were higher in patients versus HD (table 1). The four biomarkers were analyzed across BC subtypes (table 2). VEGF, HB-EGF and PDGF were lower in HER2-overexpressing versus non-HER2 over-expressing subtypes. In contrast, neuropilin-1 was higher in HER2-overexpressing subtype. Patients with TNBC presented the highest level of VEGF and HB-EGF.
Conclusion Concentration of angiogenic molecules seem to differ across BC subtypes. TNBC patients have high levels of growing factors and lower levels of neuropilin-1. Angiogenesis seems to play an important role in TNBC.
Disclosure Nothing to disclose.