Vascular insufficiency and retinal ischemia precede many proliferative retinopathies and stimulate secretion of various vasoactive growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placenta growth factor (PlGF). It is unclear, however, how PlGF, which is elevated in proliferative diabetic retinopathy and is a VEGF homolog that binds only to VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1, promote...

Background: Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) correlates with vascularity, metastasis, and proliferation in colorectal cancer but the role of its homologue, placenta growth factor (PlGF), is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate expression and clinical implications of PlGF in colorectal cancer. Methods: We investigated 74 tumour/non-tumour pairs of colorectal ...

Oncostatin M (OSM) belongs to IL-6 subfamily and is mostly produced by T lymphocytes. High levels of OSM are detected in the pannus of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and it may arouse the inflammation responses in joints and eventually leads to bone erosion. Placenta growth factor (PLGF) is an angiogenic factor and highly homologous with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It has bee...

OBJECTIVES To estimate improvements to four antenatal screening tests for Down's syndrome (first trimester Combined, second trimester Quadruple, and first and second trimester Integrated and Serum Integrated tests) based on adding ductus venosus pulsatility index (DVPI), fetal nasal bone examination (NBE) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). SETTING Statistical analysis of data from seve...

To investigate the in vivo angiogenic activity of placenta growth factor (PlGF) and its heterodimers with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the induction of neovascularization of these factors in the mouse cornea was studied. VEGF 165 is sufficiently potent to stimulate new capillary growth from the limbal vessels. PlGF 129 /VEGF 165 heterodimers also induce corneal neovascularization ...

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor may have an important role in the pathogenesis of emphysema. The effect of another angiogenic factor, placenta growth factor (PlGF), in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown. METHODS The serum levels of VEGF and PlGF in patients with COPD (n = 184), smokers (n = 212) and non-smokers (n = 159) and the bronc...

OBJECTIVE The Elecsys(®) immunoassay sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and the Triage(®) PlGF assay were compared (in a prospective, multicenter, case-control study) for diagnosis of preeclampsia/hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP) syndrome. METHODS Women in European perinatal care centers with singleton pregnancies were enrolled: 178 cases had confirmed preeclampsia and 391 controls had...

BACKGROUND Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Failure to detect intrauterine growth restriction in women at high risk has been highlighted as a significant avoidable cause of serious fetal outcome. In this observational study we compare fetal flow using Doppler ultrasonography with ...

OBJECTIVES This study examined whether atorvastatin increases plasma levels of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and reciprocally decreases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND Statins exert cardioprotective actions partly through anti-inflammatory actions. By capturing VEGF...

OBJECTIVE To define the contribution of maternal variables which influence the measured level of maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) in screening for pregnancy complications. METHODS Maternal characteristics and medical history were recorded and serum levels of PlGF were measured in women with a singleton pregnancy attending for three routine hospital visits at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6, 19 ...