Anti-angiogenic efficacy in invasive breast carcinoma patients depends on clinicopathological determinants

The biggest problem with the occurrence of breast cancer is late diagnosis, which is associated with high mortality rates. The aim of the study was to appraise the number of circulating endothelial precursors and the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and the soluble forms of its receptors, sVEGFR1 and sVEGFR2, in breast cancer patients with respect to clinicopathological features.

The study involved 85 women of Caucasian ethnicity aged 45-66 with primary breast cancer without distant metastases (M0). Inclusion criteria were as follows: histopathological examination confirming the diagnosis of primary breast cancer, without previous radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry evaluation of oestrogen and progesterone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, Ki67 expression was made in all cases. In the EDTA-plasma, the concentrations of VEGF-A and its soluble receptors, sVEGFR1 and sVEGFR2, were measured applying immunoassay techniques. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were identified with the immune-phenotype CD45^-, CD34⁺, CD133⁺, CD31⁺ using flow cytometry.

Older women with breast cancer had significantly higher concentrations of VEGF-A as well as sVEGFR2 compared with their younger counterparts. A significantly higher concentration of the soluble form of VEGF receptor type 1 in patients with T1 breast cancer in relation to T2 cases was noted. Also, negative correlations between circulating EPCs and histological grading as well as a soluble form of VEGFR2 with histological grading of breast cancer according to the Elston-Ellis classification were observed.

Anti-angiogenic potential is divergent in relation to the clinicopathological determinants.