J Korean Med Sci.  2006 Aug;21(4):608-613. 10.3346/jkms.2006.21.4.608.

Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Pediatric Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Pleural Effusion

• Choi SH
• Park EY
• Jung HL
• Shim JW
• Kim DS
• Park MS
• Shim JY

• KMID: 2157809
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2006.21.4.608

Abstract

This study investigated the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in children with community-acquired pneumonia. Serum VEGF levels were measured in patients with pneumonia (n=29) and in control subjects (n=27) by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pneumonia group was classified into bronchopneumonia with pleural effusion (n=1), bronchopneumonia without pleural effusion (n=15), lobar pneumonia with pleural effusion (n=4), and lobar pneumonia without pleural effusion (n=9) groups based on the findings of chest radiographs. We also measured serum IL-6 levels and the other acute inflammatory parameters. Serum levels of VEGF in children with pneumonia were significantly higher than those in control subjects (p<0.01). Children with lobar pneumonia with or without effusion showed significantly higher levels of serum VEGF than children with bronchopneumonia. For lobar pneumonia, children with pleural effusion showed higher levels of VEGF than those without pleural effusion. Children with a positive urinary S. pneumonia antigen test also showed higher levels of VEGF than those with a negative result. Serum IL-6 levels did not show significant differences between children with pneumonia and control subjects. Serum levels of VEGF showed a positive correlation with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the children with pneumonia. In conclusion, VEGF may be one of the key mediators that lead to lobar pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion.

Keyword

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Interleukin-6; Pleural Effusion; Community-Acquired Infec-tions; Pneumonia

MeSH Terms

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*blood
Streptococcus pneumoniae/growth & development/immunology
Pneumonia, Bacterial/*blood/complications/microbiology
Pleural Effusion/*blood/complications/microbiology
Mycoplasma pneumoniae/growth & development/immunology
Male
Interleukin-6/blood
Infant
Humans
Female
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Community-Acquired Infections/blood/microbiology
Child, Preschool
Child
Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology
Adolescent

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 (A) Comparison of the serum VEGF concentrations between the pneumonia and control groups. Serum concentrations of VEGF in the children with pneumonia are much higher than those VEGF levels in the control subjects (p<0.01). (B) Comparison of the serum VEGF concentrations according to the types of pneumonia on the basis of the chest radiographs. The serum levels of VEGF in children with lobar pneumonia are significantly higher than those VEGF levels in the children with bronchopneumonia (p<0.01).

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of the serum VEGF concentrations between the children with and without pleural effusion (A), and between the children with positive and negative urinary S. pneumoniae antigen tests (B) in the lobar pneumonia group. The serum levels of VEGF in the children with pleural effusion and a positive urinary S. pneumoniae antigen test are significantly higher than those without pleural effusion and a negative urinary S. pneumoniae antigen test (p<0.05).

• 

  Fig. 3 Correlation of the serum VEGF concentrations with the acute inflammatory parameters. (A) Serum levels of VEGF in the children with pneumonia show positive correlation with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). (B, C) Serum levels of IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) show no significant correlations with the serum VEGF levels.

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