%0 Journal Article %A ANITA LUETHY %A FRANK STENNER %A CORINNE LOHRI %A CHRISTOPH MULLER %A PANAGIOTIS SAMARAS %A RUDOLF STEINER %A MARIES VAN DEN BROEK %A AXEL MISCHO %A CHRISTOPH RENNER %A ALEXANDER KNUTH %A CURZIO RUEGG %A ROLAND H. WENGER %A MARTIN ZWEIFEL %T Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: Leukapheresis Product has Anti-angiogenic Effects In Vivo Correlating with Neutrophil-derived VEGFR1 %D 2011 %J Anticancer Research %P 3115-3124 %V 31 %N 10 %X Background: High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is used for the treatment of hemato-oncologic malignancies. In this study, we measured the effect of HDC/ASCT on plasma concentrations of antiangiogenic soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (sVEGFR1) and of leukapheresis products (LP) and patient serum on chick chorioallantoic (CAM) angiogenesis. Materials and Methods: VEGFR1- and CD34-expressing cells of leukapheresis products were analyzed by flow cytometry. Alternatively spliced isoforms of VEGFR1 mRNA were quantified using reverse transcription PCR. Results: Plasma concentrations of sVEGFR1 decreased after HDC, but significantly increased after ASCT. In the CAM assay, sera of patients elicited a proangiogenic effect before and after HDC, but a strong antiangiogenic response after ASCT, comparable to that of bevacizumab at therapeutic concentrations. LP contains high concentrations of sVEGFR1, and high density of VEGFR1+ neutrophilic granulocytes, in which mRNA expression is shifted toward the soluble VEGFR1 isoform. Conclusion: Neutrophil-derived antiangiogenic sVEGFR1 within the LP may contribute to the therapeutic efficacy of ASCT. %U https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/anticanres/31/10/3115.full.pdf