CONTEXT: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic and chemotactic peptide, is abundantly expressed in normal lung tissue, especially in alveolar and bronchial epithelium, glandular cells of the bronchi, and activated alveolar macrophages. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of VEGF in progressively impaired lung function as the major complication and cause of death in septic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated pulmonary VEGF expression in lung autopsy material from septic patients who had been cared for by intensive care medicine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Compared with expression in nonseptic control individuals (n = 10), pulmonary VEGF expression as determined by ELISA was significantly (P <.001) decreased in septic patients (n = 8). As monitored by RT-PCR, mRNA for the 2 splice variants, VEGF(121) and VEGF(165), and for VEGFR-2/KDR were expressed in both groups, the yields being lower in the sepsis group. Samples from septic patients lacked or showed only sparse immunoreaction on bronchial and alveolar epithelium, whereas this reaction was strong in all control samples. However, alveolar macrophages were similarly immunopositive in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The precise underlying mechanisms for the distinctly different expression of pulmonary VEGF in septic patients and nonseptic control individuals are not clear at present. Particularly the role of VEGF in the development of sepsis-induced lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome in mechanically ventilated patients suffering from severe sepsis remains to be clarified.
CONTEXT: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic and chemotactic peptide, is abundantly expressed in normal lung tissue, especially in alveolar and bronchial epithelium, glandular cells of the bronchi, and activated alveolar macrophages. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of VEGF in progressively impaired lung function as the major complication and cause of death in septicpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated pulmonary VEGF expression in lung autopsy material from septicpatients who had been cared for by intensive care medicine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Compared with expression in nonseptic control individuals (n = 10), pulmonary VEGF expression as determined by ELISA was significantly (P <.001) decreased in septicpatients (n = 8). As monitored by RT-PCR, mRNA for the 2 splice variants, VEGF(121) and VEGF(165), and for VEGFR-2/KDR were expressed in both groups, the yields being lower in the sepsis group. Samples from septicpatients lacked or showed only sparse immunoreaction on bronchial and alveolar epithelium, whereas this reaction was strong in all control samples. However, alveolar macrophages were similarly immunopositive in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The precise underlying mechanisms for the distinctly different expression of pulmonary VEGF in septicpatients and nonseptic control individuals are not clear at present. Particularly the role of VEGF in the development of sepsis-induced lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome in mechanically ventilated patients suffering from severe sepsis remains to be clarified.
Authors: Jimmy Espinoza; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Roberto Romero; Yeon Mee Kim; Gi Jin Kim; Jyh Kae Nien; Juan Pedro Kusanovic; Offer Erez; Emmanuel Bujold; Luis F Gonçalves; Ricardo Gomez; Samuel Edwin Journal: J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med Date: 2007-07
Authors: Mark V Avdalovic; Lei F Putney; Edward S Schelegle; Lisa Miller; Jodie L Usachenko; Nancy K Tyler; Charles G Plopper; Laurel J Gershwin; Dallas M Hyde Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2006-08-24 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: H M C Shantha Kumara; J C Cabot; A Hoffman; M Luchtefeld; M F Kalady; N Hyman; D Feingold; R Baxter; R Larry Whelan Journal: Surg Endosc Date: 2009-01-28 Impact factor: 4.584