Abstract : BACKGROUND Angiogenesis has been shown as an important process in hematological malignancies. It co
more
Abstract : BACKGROUND Angiogenesis has been shown as an important process in hematological malignancies. It consists in endothelial proliferation migration and tube formation following pro-angiogenic factors releasing specially the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which angiogenic effect seems to be dependent on nitric oxide (NO). We examined the association among functional polymorphisms in these two angiogenesis related genes VEGF (-2578CgtA -1154GgtA and -634GgtC) and NOS3 (-786TgtC intron 4 bgta and Glu298Asp) with prognosis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).|METHODS The genotypes were determined and haplotypes estimated in 105 ALL patients that were divided in 2 groups high risk (HR) and low risk of relapse (LR) patients. In addition event-free survival curves according to genotypes were assessed.|RESULTS The group HR compared to the LR showed a higher frequency of the alleles -2578C and -634C and the haplotype CGC for VEGF (0.72 vs. 0.51 plt0.008 0.47 vs. 0.26 plt0.008 and 42.1 vs. 14.5 plt0.006 respectively) and a lower frequency of the haplotype CbGlu (0.4 vs. 8.8plt0.006) for NOS3.|CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms of VEGF and NOS3 genes are associated with high risk of relapse, therefore may have a prognostic impact in childhood ALL.|
less