Plasma levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), the soluble angiopoietin receptor Tie-2 (Tie-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its soluble receptor Flt-1, and von Willebrand factor (vWf) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and subjects with normal haemoglobin (AA)
| AA subjects (n = 23) (IQR) | SCD patients (n = 56) (IQR) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The study cohort of 56 SCD (26 men, mean (SD) age 33.5 (10) years) patients comprised 36 with HbSC disease and 20 with HbSS disease. Data in the SCD patients were compared with 24 healthy age, sex, and race matched controls (11 men, mean age 34.4 (SD 10) years). | |||
| In HbSC and HbSS disease, respective plasma levels of Ang-1 (median 1.7 (IQR 1–11.3) v 3.1 (2.0–11.4) ng/ml, p = 0.0571), Tie-2 (7.0 (5.3–28.3) v 8.5 (5.7–26.3) ng/ml, p = 0.436), VEGF (115(60–413) v 122(103–6625) pg/ml, p = 0.411), or sFlt-1 (13.8 (1.3–295) v 48 (11.3–490) ng/ml), p = 0.289), and vWf 133.5 (113.5–155) v 151.5 (133.3–168) IU/dl; p = 0.094) did not differ between the groups, although Ang-2 was higher in the SS patients (5.9 (4.4–10) v 3.2 (2.0–7.2) ng/ml) p = 0.025). | |||
| Raw data | |||
| Ang-1 (ng/ml) | 0.5 (0.5−2.5) | 2.2 (1.0−11.4) | 0.0004 |
| Ang-2 (ng/ml) | 1.3 (1.0−2.0) | 5.1 (2.3−7.7) | <0.001 |
| Tie-2 (ng/ml) | 10.8 (10.0−12.0) | 7.7 (5.5−28.3) | 0.105 |
| VEGF (pg/ml) | 11 (10−110) | 120 (72−780) | <0.001 |
| sFlt-1 (ng/ml) | 14.0 (4−140) | 21.5 (2.5−420) | 0.419 |
| vWf (IU/dl) | 89 (80−98) | 143 (117.3−161) | <0.001 |
| Ratios | |||
| Ang-2/VEGF | 100.0 (28.0−136.0) | 23.5 (9.2−56.2) | 0.009 |
| Ang-2/Ang-1 | 2.2 (0.6−2.8) | 1.4 (0.7−3.1) | 0.825 |
| Ang 1/VEGF | 50.0 (10−80) | 16.5 (4.6−29.9) | 0.0058 |
| (Ang-2/Ang-1)×100/VEGF | 12.0 (1.7−26.0) | 1.4 (0.07−4.6) | 0.0002 |