This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sorvillo, F. Articles by Carella, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sorvillo, F. Articles by Carella, C.

Recombinant Human Thyrotropin Reduces Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels in Patients Monitored for Thyroid Carcinoma Even in the Absence of Thyroid Tissue

Chair of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine "F. Magrassi and A. Lanzara" (F.S., G.M., A.C., M.P., M.R., P.M., S.I., G.A., C.C.), Department of General Pathology (M.C.), Second University of Naples; and Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology (B.B.), University "Federico II" Naples, 80121 Naples, Italy

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Prof. Carlo Carella, M.D., Via Crispi 44, 80121 Naples, Italy. E-mail: carlo.carella{at}unina2.it.

In this study, we have investigated in vivo the time-dependent effects of TSH on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in patients monitored for thyroid carcinoma.

Serum VEGF, thyroglobulin (Tg), and TSH levels were assayed at baseline and 6, 24, 30, 48, 72, and 96 h and 1 wk after administration of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) in 45 thyroidectomized patients affected by differentiated thyroid carcinoma. At baseline, the patients with metastasis (18 cases) showed serum Tg and VEGF values significantly higher than those seen in the cured patients (27 cases). During rhTSH stimulation, the mean VEGF levels decreased significantly in both patient groups. In 60% of patients with metastasis, VEGF nadir occurred at the same time as serum TSH reached the highest values, whereas in 85.7% of the cured patients VEGF decreased after the TSH peak (P = 0.003).

In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that short-term administration of rhTSH in patients monitored for differentiated thyroid carcinoma induces a significant reduction in serum VEGF values even in the absence of thyroid tissue. This result would suggest that TSH may be able in vivo to regulate VEGF production from tissues other than the thyroid gland.

Abbreviations: CI, Confidence intervals; rhTSH, recombinant human TSH; Tg, thyroglobulin; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; WBS, whole-body scan.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Klubo-Gwiezdzinska, R. Junik, E. Kopczynska, O. Juraniec, and H. Kardymowicz The comparison of serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels between patients with metastatic and non-metastatic thyroid cancer, and patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2007; 157(4): 521 - 527. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. T. Antunes, A. Gagnon, B. Chen, F. Pacini, T. J. Smith, and A. Sorisky Interleukin-6 release from human abdominal adipose cells is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone: effect of adipocyte differentiation and anatomic depot Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2006; 290(6): E1140 - E1144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]