NT-ProBNP and VEGF Serum Evaluation In AL Amyloidosis

Abstract 5008

AL amyloidosis is a plasmacellular dyscrasia in which fibrillary deposits containing monoclonal immunoglobuline light chains infiltrate tissues causing their dysfunction and failure. Amyloidosis could be classified into rare localized or more frequent systemic forms such as AL amyloidosis. Cardiac dysfunction is a very frequent feature in AL amyloidosis patients. To evaluate heart involvement both in systemic and localized AL amyloidosis, serum levels of pro-BNP (peptide NT-proBNP; 76 amino acids) and VEGF were investigated. NT-proBNP has been described as an useful marker for heart dysfunction and its role as a prognostic factor for patients with systemic AL amyloidosis has been validated. VEGF is a signaling protein that stimulates new blood vessel formation and showed to be a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells. Serum NT-proBNP and VEGF levels were performed in systemic or localized AL amyloidosis patients to evaluate if there is any correlation between them. Blood samples were collected from 8 patients with systemic amyloidosis and from 4 patients with localized amyloidosis. To analyze the results of NT-proBnp and VEGF, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation were performed. Serum NT-proBNP values were significantly increased in systemic disease (p=0.004). VEGF serum levels were also significantly higher in patients with systemic disease compared to the other group (p=0.027). No significant correlation between NT-proBNP and VEGF levels was found. We know that proBNP levels are significantly increased in patients with systemic amyloidosis and cardiac involvement. On the other hand, VEGF serum levels resulted to be increased in systemic disease. Nevertheless, on the basis of our results, we found absence of a significant correlation between NT-proBNP and VEGF increases. In our opinion, such finding could suggest that VEGF based neoangiogenesis is not significantly involved in AL amyloidosis heart dysfunction.