Quantitation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells as Markers of Tumor Angiogenesis in Breast Cancer (EPC)

Indiana University School of Medicine

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer Stage II; Breast Cancer Stage IV; Breast Cancer Stage I

Treatments: Procedure: Blood Draw

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00393341

0609-21

IUCRO-0168

Details and patient eligibility

About

We propose to quantitate endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in early and advanced breast cancer patients. Peripheral blood will be drawn from the eligible patients. Different type of EPCs will be isolated from the blood and quantitated.

Full description

Accumulating evidence emphasizes the emerging role of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in tumor angiogenesis as surrogate markers and in the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapies in breast cancer (22-27). Furstenberger et al. (22) reported that CECs were significantly elevated in breast cancer patients and decreased during chemotherapy (anthracycline and/or taxane based). However, EPCs (CD34+/VEGFR-2+) as well as their progenitor cell population CD133+/CD34+ and the population of CD34+ stem cells increased together with VEGF, erythropoietin and angiopoietin-2 levels. Their data suggest that chemotherapy reduces mature CECs, while mobilizing the EPC population. Using real-time PCR and flow cytometry, they also showed that CD146, an endothelial cell specific antigen, was significantly increased in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls (23). Other studies also reported increased circulating EPCs in breast cancer patients in addition to CECs (24,25). In another study, circulating EPCs were not increased in cancer patients despite the high plasma VEGF levels (26). Another interesting aspect is that Mancuso et al (27) showed that CEC kinetics correlate with progression-free and overall survival but not circulating progenitor cells in metastatic breast cancer.

Enrollment: 68 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer(stage IV), or women with a history of Stage I or II breast cancer disease who are currently disease free Women greater than or equal to 18 years of age Ability to understand and the willingness to sign an informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery within the past 4 weeks.

Trial design

68 participants in 2 patient groups

Case

Description:

Women with breast cancer

Treatment:

Procedure: Blood Draw

Control

Description:

Women without breast cancer

Treatment:

Procedure: Blood Draw