Elevated circulating levels of tissue factor-positive microvesicles are associated with distant metastasis in lung cancer

Abstract

Microvesicles (MV) in the blood stream are associated with distant metastasis in cancer. Platelet or endothelial cell-related MV actively participate in thrombogenesis, which is an important step in cancer metastasis. This study investigated the correlations between MV levels of platelet-poor plasma and distant metastasis in lung cancer. Platelet-poor plasma from 44 treatment-naive lung cancer (23 with distant metastasis) and 19 normal subjects was used to determine the levels of glycoprotein Iβ (CD42)+platelet MV (PMV), P-selectin (CD62P)+PMV, VE-cadherin (CD144)+endothelial MV (EMV), tissue factor (CD142)+MV, thrombin-antithrombin complex and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The level of CD142+MV was significant (odds ratio 5.86, 95% confidence interval 1.31-38.3) in predicting distant metastasis in lung cancer, and a cutoff value of 2.668 (after logarithm transformation) in the ROC curve had a specificity of 90% and a sensitivity of 59%. The presence of distant metastasis showed a significant correlation between CD144+EMV and VEGF, but not between CD144+EMV and CD42+PMV or CD62P+PMV in lung cancer subjects. The finding of CD142+MV in platelet-poor plasma may be useful for suggesting distant metastasis in lung cancer. In addition to thrombogenesis, interaction between VE-cadherin and VEGF may be needed for successful metastasis in lung cancer.