Publication Date:
2009-11-20
Description:
Abstract 1260 Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) is a 75 kDa secreted glycoprotein able to bind to the receptor tyrosine kinase Tie-2 and detectable especially in vascular remodeling sites. High Ang2 levels are observed in highly vascularized tumors and may play a role in tumor angiogenesis. We have recently demonstrated that Ang2 protein secreted by CLL cells increases in vivo and in vitro angiogenesis and that, in a small CLL cohort, higher Ang2 mRNA expression is associated with advanced stage disease and shorter progression-free survival. In order to further investigate potential prognostic role of Ang2 in CLL, we measured Ang2 plasma levels using an ELISA-based method, in a large multicentric series: 42(13.3%) of 316 analyzed patients had previously received treatment and an additional 53(16.8%) required therapy during the study course, with a median TTFT of 40 months. Ang2 dosage ranged from 972 to 17281 pg/ml (median, 2061 pg/ml). The best cut-off point, generated by ROC analysis and Youden's index (state variable, treating), was 2460 pg/ml and divided our cohort in two subsets (high Ang2 and low Ang2) composed by 100 (31.6%) and 216 (68.4%) patients, respectively. The median TTFT resulted significantly shorter (P
Print ISSN:
0006-4971
Electronic ISSN:
1528-0020
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine