%0 Journal Article
%T Quantity and clinical relevance of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in human ovarian cancer
%A Yajuan Su
%A Lei Zheng
%A Qian Wang
%A Weiqi Li
%A Zhen Cai
%A Shilong Xiong
%A Jie Bao
%J Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-9966-29-27
%X The number of circulating EPCs in the peripheral blood in 25 healthy volunteers and 42 patients with ovarian cancer was determined by flow cytometry. EPCs were defined by co-expression of CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). In addition, we determined CD34 and VEGFR2 mRNA levels by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Circulating levels of EPCs were significantly increased in ovarian cancer patients, correlating with tumor stage and residual tumor size. Higher levels of EPCs were detected in patients with stage III and IV ovarian cancer than in patients with stage I and II disease. After excision of the tumor, EPCs levels rapidly declined. Residual tumor size greater than 2 cm was associated with significantly higher levels of EPCs. In addition, high circulating EPCs correlated with poor overall survival. Pretreatment CD34 mRNA levels were not significantly increased in ovarian cancer patients compared with healthy controls; however, VEGFR2 expression was increased, and plasma levels of VEGF and MMP-9 were also elevated.Our results demonstrate the clinical relevance of circulating EPCs in ovarian cancer. EPCs may be a potential biomarker to monitor ovarian cancer progression and angiogenesis and treatment response.Ovarian cancer is one of the most aggressive gynecological malignancies, and its high mortality is most often a direct result of delayed diagnosis. Only 25% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed while the malignancy is still confined to the ovary, and the cure rate in these patients can reach 90%. The remaining 75% of ovarian tumors have spread beyond the ovary by the time of diagnosis, and the cure rate for these patients is lower than 20% [1].With the advent of molecular-targeted therapies, treatment for ovarian cancer is now moving beyond conventional chemother
%U http://www.jeccr.com/content/29/1/27