Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as a Prognostic Parameter in Subjects with "Plateau Red Face"

Ma, Lan, Ying Chen, Guoen Jin, Yingzhong Yang, Qin Ga, and Ri-Li Ge. Vascular endothelial growth factor as a prognostic parameter in subjects with "plateau red face." High Alt Med Biol 16:147-153, 2015.--Some individuals living at high altitude on the Qinghai Plateau in China develop a red face called " Plateau Red Face" (PRF). It is characterized by telangiectasia of the cheeks, which become a unique ruddy color. It is more common in young females than males, subjects who have polycythemia are more susceptible to PRF, and its pathogenesis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PRF and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

A total of 158 subjects (82 male and 76 female) residing at 4300 m and 140 subjects (73 male and 67 female) residing at 2260 m on the Qinghai Plateau, China, participated in this study. The determination and magnitude of PRF is evaluated by the dilation of veins on the face in the Qinghai chronic mountain sickness(CMS) score, established during the World Congress in 2004. Arterial O(2) saturation (Sao(2)), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, pulmonary function tests, and serum concentration of VEGF (by ELISA) were measured in all participants.

The occurrence of PRF was 32.9% (52/158) among subjects living at 4300 m and 15.7% (22/140) among those living at 2260 m. The levels of VEGF in PRF and non-PRF subjects were 399.9±115.6 pg/mL and 270.7±78.1 pg/mL, respectively (p<0.001) at 4300 m, and 244.4±109.0 pg/mL and 135.6±65.3 pg/mL, respectively (p<0.01) at 2260 m. However, comparing the levels of VEGF between the genders and ethnic groups at the same altitude, there were no significant differences between male and female both in Xining (p=0.12) and Maduo (p=0.18). There was also no significant difference between Tibetan and Han nationality in Xining (p=0.71), but In Maduo, the levels of VEGF in Han (351.70±122.62 pg/mL) were higher than that of Tibetan (300.20±102.89 pg/mL), and there was significant difference (p=0.01). Sao2 levels in PRF subjects (86.58±3.49) were lower than those of non-PRF subjects (88.04±3.68; p=0.018), while Hb was higher. Areas under receiver operator characteristic curve for diagnosis of PRF were 0.813, 0.679, and 0.373 for VEGF, Hb, and Sao(2), respectively. VEGF levels correlated positively with Hb levels both in Xining (r=0.367, p<0.001) and Maduo (r=0.319, p<0.001), and only negatively with Sao(2) levels in Maduo (r=-0.424, P<0.001) but not in Xining (r=0.125, p=0.141).

Chronic hypoxemia may stimulate overproduction of angiogenic cytokine (VEGF), and this peptide may lead to formation of abnormal new vessels and development of congestion in mucosa and conjunctiva. Thus, VEGF may, at least in part, serve as a marker of the pathophysiologic trigger for PRF.