Serum Levels of Three Angiogenic Factors in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Their Clinical Significance

Ling Zhou,Lei Shen,Mingjun Wang,Guoyuan Lu,Linfeng Wang

doi:10.1155/2014/627126

Abstract

Our research investigates the serum levels of three angiogenic factors in the AF family, namely, placenta growth factor (PlGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in 54 patients with SLE (SLE group) and 28 healthy controls (normal control) through ELISA measurement. And their interrelationships were also systematically analyzed. The SLE patients were then divided into active SLE group and inactive SLE group according to the SLEDAI score. The results show that serum levels of PlGF, bFGF, and VEGF in all SLE group and active SLE group were higher than those in normal controls. Serum levels of PlGF and bFGF in inactive SLE group were higher than those in normal controls. The level of PlGF was positively correlated with VEGF in SLE patients and positive correlation is also shown in bFGF with VEGF. The levels of PlGF and VEGF in SLE patients were positively correlated with both ESR and SLEDAI score. Thus a tentative conclusion can be drawn that the serum levels of the angiogenic factors, for example, PlGF, bFGF, and VEGF, may be relevant in the pathogenesis of SLE, and the concentrations of PlGF and VEGF seem to be the markers of SLE activity.

Highlights

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease that involves quite a few organs, with vasculitis and angiopathy as some of its typical clinical expressions [1]
Our research shows that serum level of FGF in all SLE group, the active SLE group, and the inactive SLE group are all significantly higher than that in the control group, and the level of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is positively correlated with that of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), suggesting that bFGF might, along with other factors, participate in the angiopathy of SLE by enhancing the expression and secretion of VEGF
Our research shows that the levels of placenta growth factor (PlGF) and VEGF are positively correlated with 24-hour urine protein, and the level of PlGF is positively correlated with serum creatinines, indicating that both PlGF and VEGF might participate in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis

Summary

Introduction

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease that involves quite a few organs, with vasculitis and angiopathy as some of its typical clinical expressions [1]. Previous research shows that angiogenic factors increase substantially once the damage and activation of vascular endothelial cells happen and play a significant role in vascular permeability, vascular growth, and inflammatory response. Angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2), a marker of endothelial cell activation, has been proposed as a mediator of angiogenesis, which might play an important role in the regulation of endothelial integrity and inflammation and is related to severity and cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [2]. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as one of the most important proangiogenic mediators may play a role in the development of severe ischemic manifestations of giant cell arteritis [5]. Our clinical research aims at studying the angiogenic factors, in particular, the PlGF, bFGF, and VEGF—their expressions in the SLE patients, their interrelationships, and their correlations with other clinical

Methods

Results

Conclusion