Introduction: Bone marrow function and the growth of hemopoietic cells depends on an intact microvasculature. A pivotal regulator of angiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Our study assesses VEGF expression and microvessel density (MVD) in the bone marrow of patients with aplastic anemia (AA).
Materials and method: Bone marrow specimens from 25 patients with AA and 15 controls were studied. MVD was calculated on sections stained immunohistochemically for CD34. Subsequently, all the cases were studied for VEGF expression.
Results: Bone marrow MVD in patients with AA was significantly lower than that in controls (p < 0.01). There was a significant MVD difference between severe AA and moderate AA (p < 0.05). VEGF expression was also significantly lower in AA cases compared to controls (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our data show that AA is associated with reduced angiogenesis and reduced VEGF expression. Defective angiogenesis may result in or aggravate bone marrow aplasia in AA patients. There are limited studies on this aspect. More studies to confirm the present hypothesis might pave the way for new treatment options in AA.