[The influence of thyroidectomy of serum VEGF levels in patients with Graves disease].

Angiogenic cytokines, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), play an important role in patients after surgery because they facilitate proper wound healing. The aim of the paper was the comparison of serum VEGF levels in patients before and after thyroidectomy due to Graves disease (Gd). A serum VEGF level was determined by means of ELISA method before the operation as well as 3 and 7 days after it in 24 patients. The mean serum VEGF level was 61.2 pg/ml (range, 33.7-105.0 pg/ml) before the operation and increased after the operation to 115.6 pg/ml (range, 36.3-214.2 pg/ml). After thyroidectomy, the mean level of serum VEGF level in all patients rose by for 79.5% (range, 7.7-115.4%). These results suggest that serum VEGF level increases in patients with Gd after subtotal thyroidectomy, although disorder in secreting cytokines is observed in Gd patients and they were administered thyrostatics up to the operation, which have an immunosuppressive activity.