Haematologica (Mar 2008)

Normalization of the serum angiopoietin-1 to angiopoietin-2 ratio reflects response in refractory/resistant multiple myeloma patients treated with bortezomib

  • Konstantinos Anargyrou,
  • Evangelos Terpos,
  • Theodoros P. Vassilakopoulos,
  • Anastasia Pouli,
  • Sotirios Sachanas,
  • Tatiana Tzenou,
  • Stavroula Masouridis,
  • Dimitrios Christoulas,
  • Maria K. Angelopoulou,
  • Evangelia M. Dimitriadou,
  • Christina Kalpadakis,
  • Konstantinos Tsionos,
  • Panayiotis Panayiotidis,
  • Meletios A. Dimopoulos,
  • Gerassimos A. Pangalis,
  • Marie-Christine Kyrtsonis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.11852
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 93, no. 3

Abstract

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Neoangiogenesis is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma and angiopoietins possibly contribute to myeloma-induced neovascularization. Bortezomib’s antineoplastic potential includes an anti-angiogenic effect. We determined serum levels of angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 with ELISA pre- and post-bortezomib administration in 35 patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Pre-bortezomib, serum angiopoietin-1 levels did not differ in patients and in healthy individuals, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels were elevated. Corresponding serum angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio was reduced in patients compared with controls. After treatment, serum angiopoietin-1 levels increased, while serum angiopoietin-2 levels decreased, therefore the angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio increased and normalized. This increase was significant in patients who responded to treatment. In conclusion, angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2 ratio normalization reflected response to bortezomib.