Pretreatment angiogenic cytokines predict response to chemoimmunotherapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic
Tait D Shanafelt1, John C Byrd, Betsy LaPLant
1Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. shanafelt.tait@mayo.edu
Abstract:
Serum levels of pro-[vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] and anti-[thrombospondin-1 (TSP)] angiogenic cytokines were prospectively measured in a phase II trial of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients (n = 56). Pretreatment VEGF levels were lower among patients who achieved complete remission (CR) or nodular partial remission (nPR) relative to those with partial remission (PR) or stable/progressive disease (median 122.0 pg/ml vs. 246.8 pg/ml; P = 0.03). VEGF:TSP ratio was lower (anti-angiogenic phenotype) among patients who achieved CR/nPR. The pretreatment VEGF:TSP ratio also correlated with overall survival (P = 0.008). A pro-angiogenic profile appears associated with diminished response and inferior survival in CLL patients receiving CIT.