Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

The 42nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology

Symposium VIII-2: Immunological disorders in nervous system
Vascular endothelial growth factor and Crow-Fukase syndrome

Kimiyoshi Arimura, M. D. 1), Mitsuhiro Osame, M. D. 1) and Teruto Hashiguchi, M. D. 2)

1)The Third Deapartment of Intrenal Medicine, Kagoshima University,
2)Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kagoshima University

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is highly elevated in patients with Crow-Fukase syndrome (CFS) and is well correlated with the clinical manifestations of CFS. In circulating blood, VEGF is specifically stored in platelets and releaseed during platelet aggregation. To clarify the role of VEGF in the pathomechanism of CFS, we transplanted VEGF secretion tumors in nude mice and studied the pathological findings in these mice. Prominent edema with elevated serum VEGF were found. Organomegaly was also found in liver, spleen and kidney. Pathological findings in these organs were similar to those found in autopsies of CFS patients. In peripheral nerve, mild intraneural edema was seen, however, neuropathy was not prominent. These findings suggest that elevated VEGF may be closely correlated with generalized edema (anasarca). However, it is also important to consider factors such as cytokines and other T cell functions that, in association with VEGF, may be the cause of neuropathy in CFS.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 41: 1144－1146, 2001)
key words: Crow-Fukase syndrome, POEMS syndrome, VEGF, organomegaly, neuropathy, nude mouse

(Received: 13-May-01)