Open AccessPeripheral blood mononuclear cells extracts VEGF protein levels and VEGF mRNA: Associations with inflammatory molecules in a healthy population
Author(s) -
Vesna Gorenjak,
Dwaine R. Vance,
Alexandros M. Petrelis,
Maria G. Stathopoulou,
Sébastien Dadé,
Said El Shamieh,
Helena Murray,
Christine Masson,
John Lamont,
Peter Fitzgerald,
Sophie VisvikisSiest
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0220902
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , vegf receptors , messenger rna , peripheral blood , peripheral , population , inflammation , vascular endothelial growth factor a , medicine , immunology , biology , cancer research , vascular endothelial growth factor , in vitro , biochemistry , gene , environmental health
Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signal protein, implicated in various physiological and pathophysiological processes together with other common inflammatory biomarkers. However, their associations have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated associations between VEGF and four specific VEGF mRNA isoforms with levels of 11 inflammation molecules, derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) extracts. Methods Healthy participants from the STANISLAS Family Study (n = 285) were included. Levels of VEGF (four mRNA isoforms and protein levels) and inflammatory molecules (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, INF-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1, EGF) were measured in PBMCs extracts. Multiple regression analyses were performed, adjusted for age and gender. Results The analyses revealed significant associations between VEGF protein levels and levels of IL-4 (β = 0.028, P = 0.013), MCP-1 (β = 0.015, P<0.0001) and EGF (β = 0.017, P<0.0001). Furthermore, mRNA isoform VEGF 165 was associated with MCP-1 and IL-1α (P = 0.002 and P = 0.008, respectively); and mRNA isoform VEGF 189 was associated with IL-4 and IL-6 (P = 0.019 and P = 0.034, respectively). Conclusions To our knowledge, the present study represents the first investigation that successfully demonstrates links between VEGF protein levels and inflammatory molecules levels derived from PBMCs extracts and identifies associations between specific VEGF mRNA isoforms and inflammatory molecules. Impact These findings provide novel insights that may assist in the development of new tissue and mRNA isoform specific measurements of VEGF levels, which may positively contribute to predicting the risk of common complex diseases and response of currently used anti-VEGF agents, and developing of novel targeted therapies for VEGF-related pathophysiology.