Genetic variations in VEGF and VEGFR2 and glioblastoma outcome

J Neurooncol. 2011 Sep;104(2):523-7. doi: 10.1007/s11060-010-0504-2. Epub 2010 Dec 30.

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFR) are central components in the development and progression of glioblastoma. To investigate if genetic variation in VEGF and VEGFR2 is associated with glioblastoma prognosis, we examined blood samples from 154 glioblastoma cases collected in Sweden and Denmark between 2000 and 2004. Seventeen tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VEGF and 27 in VEGFR2 were genotyped and analysed, covering 90% of the genetic variability within the genes. In VEGF, we found no SNPs associated with survival. In VEGFR2, we found two SNPs significantly associated to survival, namely rs2071559 and rs12502008. However, these results are likely to be false positives due to multiple testing and could not be confirmed in a separate dataset. Overall, this study provides little evidence that VEGF and VEGFR2 polymorphisms are important for glioblastoma survival.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genotype
  • Glioblastoma / diagnosis
  • Glioblastoma / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Prognosis
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / genetics*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2