Identification of serum regression signs in infantile hemangioma

Vessel proliferation underlies a number of serious pathological conditions. Infantile Hemangioma (IH) is a low-aggressive vascular tumor, interesting as an in vivo model of spontaneous tumor regression. Identifying mechanisms underlying IH spontaneous regression may then help to elucidate vessel-growth control, strongly deregulated in other serious conditions such as sarcoma, melanoma, diabetic retinopathy. The present study was aimed at identifying early regression indicators within hematological parameters. Thirty-four blood samples were collected from IH diagnosed babies (20-months median age), spontaneously regressing with age. Nineteen serum standard blood-tests were carried out using diagnostic reagents; in addition, serum-expression of 27 cytokine/chemokines was measured. Samples were divided in three age-groups, namely ≤ 12, 13 to 24 and >24 months-age, respectively. Red-cells count, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, MCP-1 and MIP-1beta were significantly different in the three age-groups, according to one-way ANOVA analysis. The same parameters showed a significant Pearson-correlation with age, supporting the direct link of age with IH-regression. ROC analysis showed that red-cells count, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCP-1 and MIP-1beta levels significantly discriminate IH in the proliferating-phase from IH in the regressing-phase. Such data indicate for the first time that standard hematological tests and cytokine serum-expression values may effectively discriminate proliferating- from regressing-IH, unrevealing early regression signs, and demonstrate that standard blood-tests may have novel unsuspected diagnostic/prognostic relevance in altered vessel-growth conditions.