BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEIt ha been proven that serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration was elevated significantly after surgery in patients of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Platelet may be the main resource of serum VEGF. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between postoperative dynamic changes of serum VEGF levels and platelet counts in patients of NSCLC who underwent surgery.

METHODSSerum VEGF levels were determined in 76 patients of NSCLC who were treated with surgery by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) method before operation and on postoperative day 1, 7. At the same day the concentrations of platelet were determined. RESULTS (1) Serum VEGF in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (842.06 +/- 527.24) pg/mL, (1 119.28 +/- 609.62) pg/mL, (1 574.09 +/- 873.38) pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001); (2) Platelet counts in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (230.42 +/- 82.56 x 10(9)/L, (196.47 +/- 81.48) x 10(9)/L, (237.90 +/- 86.94) x 10(9)/L; the value on postoperative 1 day was the lowest (P < 0.001); (3) On postoperative 7 day, serum VEGF in the group of lower than the mean and higher than the mean were respectively (1 398.81 +/- 734.00) pg/mL and (1 842.86 +/- 1 006.63) pg/mL (P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONSerum VEGF in patients of NSCLC after surgery were elevated. In the group of higher platelet counts, serum VEGF increased more significantly.