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Serum-level changes of vascular endothelial growth factor in children with infantile hemangioma after oral

Xiao Dong Chen1, Gang Ma, Jin Long Huang

  • 1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.

Pediatric Dermatology
|August 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Oral propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma (IH) significantly reduces serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, particularly within the first month. This finding offers insight into the therapeutic mechanism of propranolol for IH.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Biology
  • Pediatric Dermatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a common pediatric vascular tumor.
  • Oral propranolol is the established first-line treatment for IH.
  • The precise mechanism by which propranolol treats IH is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of oral propranolol on serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in patients with infantile hemangioma.
  • To explore the relationship between VEGF levels, lesion size, and treatment response.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 22 patients with infantile hemangioma receiving propranolol therapy was studied.
  • Serum VEGF levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-treatment.
  • Correlation analysis was performed between VEGF levels, lesion size, and patient age.

Main Results:

  • Serum VEGF concentrations were significantly higher in patients with proliferative hemangiomas compared to venous malformations and healthy controls.
  • A significant decrease of 21.6% in serum VEGF levels was observed after 1 month of propranolol treatment (p = 0.003).
  • VEGF levels showed a significant positive correlation with infantile hemangioma lesion size (R = 0.43, p = 0.046).

Conclusions:

  • Oral propranolol treatment leads to a reduction in serum VEGF levels in patients with infantile hemangioma.
  • The observed decrease in VEGF may contribute to the therapeutic efficacy of propranolol in IH.
  • Serum VEGF levels are positively correlated with lesion size in infantile hemangioma.

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