Peripheral Blood Platelets Express VEGF-C and VEGF which Are Released during Platelet Activation

Ulla Wartiovaara; Petri Salven; Hanna Mikkola; Riitta Lassila; Jaakko Kaukonen; Vladimir Joukov; Arto Orpana; Ari Ristimäki; Markku Heikinheimo; Heikki Joensuu; Kari Alitalo; Aarno Palotie

doi:10.1055/s-0037-1615158

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 1998; 80(01): 171-175
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1615158

Rapid Communication

Schattauer GmbH

Peripheral Blood Platelets Express VEGF-C and VEGF which Are Released during Platelet Activation

Authors

Ulla Wartiovaara

¹Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine
Petri Salven
Hanna Mikkola

¹Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine
Riitta Lassila

³Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland
Jaakko Kaukonen

¹Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine
Vladimir Joukov

⁴Molecular/Cancer Biology Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Finland
Arto Orpana

¹Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine
Ari Ristimäki

⁶Obstetr. Gynecol, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Markku Heikinheimo
Heikki Joensuu
Kari Alitalo

⁴Molecular/Cancer Biology Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University, Finland
Aarno Palotie

¹Departments of Clinical Chemistry and Biomedicine

Abstract

Summary

VEGF-C is a recently characterised endothelial growth factor structurally related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We studied the expression of VEGF-C and VEGF in the cells of peripheral blood and in the umbilical cord blood CD 34+ cells, representing haematopoietic progenitor cells. Expression of VEGF-C was detected in the CD34+ cells. In peripheral blood VEGF-C mRNA was restricted to platelets and T-cells. In contrast to the expression pattern of VEGF-C, VEGF mRNA was detected in all peripheral blood cell fractions studied, and also in CD34+ cells. VEGF-C mRNA was also detected in fresh bone marrow samples of acute leukaemia patients, but the expression did not show lineage specificity. VEGF-C and VEGF polypeptides were present in platelets and they were released from activated platelets together with the release of β-thromboglobulin, suggesting that VEGF-C and VEGF reside in the α-granules of platelets. VEGF-C and VEGF, released from activated platelets, may have a role in angiogenesis during wound healing, and possibly also in other pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis, tumour growth, and metastasis formation.

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References

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