Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the plasma levels of tissue factor (TF), an angiogenic marker, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), an antiproliferative protein, in the childhood hemangiomas at proliferative and regressive stages.
Procedure: The study included 30 patients with hemangiomas and 30 healthy children. Localization, number, stage, type, duration of growth, and complications of the hemangiomas were determined. Venous blood samples from all individuals were collected into citrated tubes and centrifuged. Supernatant plasma was separated, aliquated, and stored at -70 degrees C until samples could be assayed. Plasma levels of TF and TFPI were measured with quantitative ELISA kits.
Results: Plasma TF and TFPI levels did not show any significant difference between the study and control groups. When plasma TF and TFPI levels of the children in the control group and in the study group who were in proliferative and regressive stage were compared to each other, no statistically significant difference could be detected.
Conclusions: Plasma TF and TFPI levels of our patients with hemangiomas were not different from healthy children and they did not show any significant difference in proliferative and regressive stages.