gms | German Medical Science

57th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

11 - 14 May, Essen

Increased levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with malignant gliomas

Erhöhte Spiegel zirkulierender endothelialer Vorläuferzellen bei Patienten mit malignem Gliom

Meeting Abstract

  • N. Rafat - Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Mannheim
  • C. Hanusch - Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Mannheim
  • J. Tüttenberg - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Mannheim
  • G. Beck - Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Mannheim
  • corresponding author P. Vajkoczy - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Mannheim

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 57. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Essen, 11.-14.05.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocFR.03.01

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2006/06dgnc009.shtml

Published: May 8, 2006

© 2006 Rafat et al.
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Outline

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Objective: Recent experimental work suggests that circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPC’s) are recruited to the angiogenic vascular system of malignant glioma. Consequently, the level of cEPC´s has been proposed as a novel biomarker for their diagnosis and monitoring. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the level of cEPC’s as well as the level of EPC mobilizing mediators in the blood of malignant glioma patients.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from whole blood of patients with malignant glioma (n=12; all GBM), brain metastases (n=10), and healthy volunteers (n=12) were isolated using Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. The number of cEPCs was quantified by FACS-analysis using anti-CD34, -CD133 and -VEGFR2-monoclonal antibodies. The FACS analysis was normalized by single and double staining using isotype controls for each patient and measurement. Serum-levels of VEGF and GM-CSF were measured by ELISA.

Results: The triple fluorescence FACS analysis proved to be sensitive and reliable for the detection of VEGFR-2 positive cEPC´s which are known to circulate in low level in the peripheral blood. The relative number of cEPC’s was significantly higher in the glioma group (1.23±1.10%) when compared to the metastasis (0.48±0.24%) or control group (0.08±0.05%). In parallel, serum-levels of GM-CSF and VEGF were both elevated in the glioma group versus the metastasis and control.

Conclusions: EPC´s are increasingly mobilized in patients with malignant glioma and may serve as a novel biomarker for these angiogenic tumors in future.