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Variations in serum vascular endothelial growth factor binding profiles and the development of ovarian
Bernie McElhinney1, Joy Ardill, Carolyn Caldwell
1School of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen's University, School of Medicine, Belfast, Northern Ireland. b.mcelhinney@qub.ac.uk
Objective:
To compare the ability of serum to sequester vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) among patients who did and did not develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Design:
Prospective, observational study.
Setting:
A regional fertility centre with a commitment to research.
Patient(S):
Five patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation as part of an in vitro fertilization cycle who developed severe OHSS, and five controls.
Intervention(S):
Serum, collected at the time of oocyte retrieval, was incubated with radioactive VEGF (125I-VEGF(165)) for 2 hours before being passed down a sephadex G-150 gel filtration column. The fractional radioactive profile was then determined.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
The distribution of radioactive VEGF across the various fractions was measured in serum samples obtained from the two groups.
Result(S):
The 125I-VEGF(165) applied to the column eluted in two peaks centered on fractions 18 +/- 2 and 39 +/- 2. The molecular weight in the first peak was >300,000 kDa and represented "bound" VEGF; the second peak represented "unbound" VEGF. In the OHSS group, there was statistically significantly less radioactivity in the first peak than in the no-OHSS group.
Conclusion(S):
Patients who do not develop OHSS appear to have a high-molecular-weight protein that binds VEGF to a greater degree than occurs in patients who develop OHSS.
