Insulin-like growth factors (IGF), IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blood serum of patients with colorectal cancer.

Serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2), IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by standard ELISA technique in 95 primary colorectal cancer patients and 48 healthy individuals. Significant increase in serum levels of IGF-1, IGFBP-2, and VEGF and decrease in IGFBP-3 level were demonstrated in patients in comparison with the control group; in male patients, serum level of IGF-2 was also increased. Sensitivity of IGF-1 as the prospective diagnostic marker of colorectal cancer was 80% and specificity was 75% at the threshold level of 140 ng/ml.

Matrix metalloproteinases 2, 7, and 9 in tumors and sera of patients with breast cancer.

Enzyme immunoassay showed that the content of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 7 in tumors was higher than in the adjacent histologically intact tissue in 91 and 76% patients with breast cancer, respectively, while MMP-9 levels in the tumor and intact tissue were virtually the same. Serum concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-7 did not correlate with their levels in the tumors, were within the normal range, and virtually did not decrease after removal of the primary tumor. Serum levels of MMP-9 in patients were significantly lower than in the control and increased after surgery in 85% patients.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 9 and their tissue inhibitor-1 in cartilage-forming osteal tumors.

The expression of MMP-1, -2, -9 and TIMP-1 was studied in 10 benign cartilage-forming osteal tumors (5 osteochondromas and 5 chondromas) and 39 chondrosarcomas (14 central, 4 periosteal, 7 dedifferentiated, and 14 secondary tumors). No expression of MMP and TIMP-1 was detected in benign cartilage-forming osteal tumors. In chondrosarcomas, the expression of MMP-1 was detected in 84.

Comparative enzyme immunoassay of matrix metalloproteinases-2, -7, -9 and their tissue inhibitor-2 in tumors and plasma of patients with gastric cancer.

The content of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2, -7, and -9 was significantly higher in tumors in comparison with the adjacent histologically intact gastric mucosa in 80, 70, and 72% patients with gastric cancer, respectively, the increase in the level of MMP tissue inhibitor-2 (TIMP-2) detected in 61% tumors was insignificant. Only plasma level of MMP-7 was elevated in primary patients in comparison with the control and positively correlated with the expression of this protein in the tumor. The concentration of MMP-7 was maximum in the blood of patients with tumor invasion in lymph vessels.

Vascular endothelial growth factor in the serum of breast cancer patients.

Here we present the results of comparative immunoenzyme assay of the initial serum levels of VEGF in breast cancer patients (stages T1N0M0 and T2N0M0) and apparently healthy women (controls). It was found that VEGF concentrations in the serum of patients with breast cancer stages T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 significantly surpassed the control levels. Increased levels of VEGF surpassing the threshold values were more often observed in patients with T2N0M0 breast cancer compared to patients with T1N0M0 tumor.