Endocrine Abstracts

The study presents the outcome of determination of serum VEGF and sVCAM in 58 patients (43 women and 15 men aged 20–76 years) with adrenal tumors: adrenal cortical adenoma (34), adrenal cortical carcinoma (12), pheochromocytoma (9), myelolipoma (2) and lymphangioma (1). Control group comprised 25 practically healthy volunteers (13 women and 12 men aged 17–67 years). Serum VEGF was measured by enzyme immunoassay using reactants from ‘R&D’ (USA), sVCAM – ‘BenderMedSystems’ (Austria). In patients with adrenal tumors mean VEGF was significantly higher (304.3±31.0 pg/ml) than in the control (150.8±22.7 pg/ml) (P=0.002). No differences in serum sVCAM in patients (635.7±37.8 ng/ml) and in the control (615.7±54.3 ng/ml) were found. Direct correlation between VEGF level and patient’s age was revealed (r=0.42, P=0.001). The highest serum VEGF (474.4±87.9 pg/ml) and sVCAM (688.2±87.7 ng/ml) were found in adrenal cortical carcinoma patients. VEGF were markedly elevated in patients with advanced stage of the adrenal cortical carcinoma as compared to patients with early stage. In patients with nonfunctional adrenal cortical carcinoma serum VEGF (594.5±147.0 pg/ml) was higher than patients with Cushing’s syndrome (410.5±72.4 pg/ml). No accociation between serum sVCAM and tumor stage was revealed in adrenal cortical carcinoma patients. In patients with adrenal cortical adenoma mean VEGF and sVCAM comprised 244.4±26.3 pg/ml and 611.8±64.4 ng/ml, accordingly. Direct correlation between VEGF level and tumor size was found in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (r=0.44, P=0.015). Mean VEGF and sVCAM in pheochromocytoma’s patients comprised 319.8±105.4 pg/ml and 542.1±66.4 ng/ml, accordingly. No correlations between serum VEGF, sVCAM and catecholamines were found in these patients. VEGF and sVCAM can play the role in the pathogenesis of adrenal tumors.