Angiogenic factor VEGF and its relationship with biological prognostic markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

B-CLL is a heterogeneous disease, distinguishing between good and poor prognosis represents a challenge to hematologists. The present study aimed to assess the relative merit of VEGF as a prognostic factor in CLL and to correlate it with other prognostic factors as CD38 & sP53 in the different stages of the disease. The median values of CD38%, sP53 and VEGF were significantly higher in both high and intermediate risk subgroups of the modified Rai staging system when compared to low risk subgroup. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between CD38% and VEGF in all subgroups. However, positive correlation between VEGF and sP53 was only observed in the high risk subgroup. The strong correlation between CD38 and VEGF in CLL patients, suggests the possibility that angiogenic factors might contribute to the more aggressive clinical behavior of CD38+ CLL. This could provide a rationale for the use of antiangiogenic agents in CD38+ CLL.