Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and cavity formation in active pulmonary tuberculosis

Background. In active pulmonary tuberculosis, certain cytokines have been postulated to be related to cavity formation, although the detailed mechanism of cavity formation is not yet known. Objective: We examined the relationship between cavity formation in pulmonary tuberculosis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which functions as an angiogenesis factor. Methods: Forty-eight patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis were divided into two groups according to cavity formation as evaluated by chest high-resolution computed tomography. We evaluated serum VEGF levels by enzyme immunoassay. Results: Group A (with cavities) was comprised of 22 patients and group B (without cavities) was comprised of 26 patients. The serum levels of VEGF were significantly higher in group B (58.733 +/- 21.612 pg/ml) than those in normal individuals (8.739 +/- 3.656 pg/ml) and in group A (13.053 +/- 8.670 pg/ml) (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.0149 and p = 0.0481, respectively). Serum levels of interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: These findings suggested that increased serum VEGF levels subdue cavity formation in active pulmonary tuberculosis. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.