[Markers in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Expression and long-term follow-up of VEGF, FLT-1 and Tie2 in serum].

Objective: The quantification of serum or plasma levels of angiogenic factors in patients with malignancies aims at the description of these factors or their receptors and allows a tissue independent study of biological tumor behavior.

Methods: In 51 patients with untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (SCCOC) and 10 healthy controls, plasma levels of VEGF and serum levels of the VEGF-receptor FLT-1 and the Ang1-receptor Tie2 were measured. Using an ELISA technique, the concentration of these factors was measured preoperatively and postoperatively over a period of 5 weeks.

Results: No statistically significant correlation could be found between the serum and plasma levels and the clinical or pathological parameters. There was no difference between the patients with SCCOC and healthy controls.

Conclusions: In patients with SCCOC, plasma levels of VEGF and serum levels of FLT-1 and Tie-2 do not provide any further information on the biological tumor behavior like proliferation or expression of metastases.