@article{3114665,
    title = "Serum interleukin-17 and its relationship to angiogenic factors in
multiple myeloma",
    author = "Alexandrakis, Michael G. and Pappa, Constantina A. and Miyakis, Spiros and and Sfiridaki, Aikaterini and Kafousi, Maria and Alegakis, Athanassios and and Stathopoulos, Efstathios N.",
    journal = "European Journal of Internal Medicine",
    year = "2006",
    volume = "17",
    number = "6",
    pages = "412-416",
    publisher = "Elsevier",
    issn = "0953-6205",
    doi = "10.1016/j.ejim.2006.02.012",
    keywords = "interleukin 17; multiple myeloma; angiogenesis; tumor necrosis
factor-alpha; vascular endothelial-cell growth factor; microvessel
density",
    abstract = "Background: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a CD4 T-cell-derived mediator of
angiogenesis that stimulates vascular endothelial cell migration and
regulates the production of a variety of proangiogenic factors, such as
tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and vascular endothelial cell
growth factor (VEGF). Angiogenesis is implicated in the progression of
multiple myeloma (MM).
Methods: We measured serum levels of IL-17, TNF-alpha, and VEGF, as well
as microvessel density (MVD) in 40 untreated MM patients.
Results: Levels of IL-17 in the sera of patients with MM were higher
than those in matched controls; however, the difference did not reach
statistical significance. Serum levels of both TNF-alpha and VEGF in MM
patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.001 in
both instances). Levels of IL-17 in MM patients, both stage 11 and stage
111, were significantly higher than those of stage I patients (p=0.001
and p<0.001, respectively). Similarly, higher values of VEGF (p<0.001),
TNF-a (p<0.001), and MVD (p<0.035) were associated with advanced disease
stage. Serum values of IL-17 in MM patients correlated positively not
only with VEGF (Spearman’s rho=0.606) and TNF-alpha (r=0.552; p<0.001 in
both instances), but also with MVD (r=0.385, p=0.014). In addition, a
positive correlation was found between serum values of VEGF and
TNF-alpha (r=0.657, p<0.001), MVD and VEGF (r=0.353, p=0.026), and
between MVD and TNF-alpha (r=0.506,p=0.001) in MM patients.
Conclusion: These results suggest that IL-17 plays a role in the
promotion of angiogenesis and associated disease progression in MM. (C)
2006 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V
All rights reserved."
}