Maria Kotschy

von Willebrand factor antigen in blood plasma of patients with urinary bladder carcinoma.

Laboratory abnormalities in blood coagulation factors are common in patients with cancer but the significance is unknown (1,2). Generally, there is an equlibrium between the coagulation system and the fibrinolysis system. However, in malignant disease this equlibrium is disrupted, resulting in the abnormal activation of coagulation on hypercoagulability. Also, evidence indicates that various components of these pathways may contribute to the disorderly characteristics of malignancy, such as proliferation, invasion and metastasizing (3, 4). Recent studies have revealed a role of von Willebrand factor (vWF) in progression of neoplasms and metastasizing (5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to measure a plasmatic level of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF) in patients with bladder carcinoma and compare this level of vWF with relationship to the staging of the disease.

Von Willebrand Factor in Plasma of Patients with Advanced Stages of Larynx Cancer

arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, lupus Our study group consisted of 37 patients, all men erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis and are aged 42 to 76 years (mean 54 years), with histopathusually explained as an acute phase reactant or ologically recognised planoepithelial carcinoma of marker of endothelial injury [3–9]. In neoplastic larynx. The stadium of carcinoma was evaluated diseases both increased and decreased levels of as T, N, M, and stages (Table 1). The control group von Willebrand factor are reported. Usually in the consisted of 48 healthy men, aged 28–63 years course of neoplastic disease a tendency to reach (mean 46 years). The patients were categorised increased plasma levels of vWf:Ag is observed [10– into groups according to tumor size (T3–T4), metas13]. Sometimes decreased levels associated with tasis to lymph nodes (N2–N2), and stages III–IV. acquired von Willebrand Disease were recorded We did not observe patients with remote metastasis for Wilms’ tumor and adrenocortical adenocarciso they should all be classified as M. Blood samples noma [14,15]. Recent studies suggest that increased of patients were drawn before operation from cubilevels of vWf:Ag correlate with progression of distal vein after minimal stasis. Blood was collected ease, metastasis, or survival time and thus may into 125 nM sodium citrate in ratio 1:9 volume have a prognostic significance [10,11,13]. blood. After centrifugation at 3000g for 10 minutes Studying the literature we found only one report the plasma was frozen in polystyrene tubes and referring vWf:Ag concentrations in larynx cancer. stored at 2408C. The levels of vWf:Ag were meaPublished results included among other types of sured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay head and neck cancer a group of 10 patients with (ELISA) using commercial antisera (Dako, Glos-