Serum semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) activity correlates with VEGF in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) is an enzyme associated with vascular systems in mammals. SSAO catalyzes the deamination of primary monoamines and has been suggested to be a risk factor in vascular disorders, e.g., diabetic vascular complications. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if serum SSAO activity is associated with clinical parameters in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Secondary aims were to investigate if there is a correlation between SSAO activity and the angiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).Thirty-three patients donated 231 serum samples. Detectable levels of bFGF, VEGF, and SSAO were observed in all patients. Serum SSAO activity was not statistically associated with survival (p = 0.35). A highly significant statistical correlation was found between SSAO activity and VEGF (p < 0.0001). No significant correlation between SSAO and bFGF was observed. We conclude that SSAO was not associated with survival in patients with NSCLC. However, a strong correlation between serum SSAO activity and the angiogenic factor VEGF was found that might implicate new aspects of the mechanisms controlling angiogenesis.