The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and the prognosis of patients with uterine fibroids following uterine artery embolization (UAE) treatment. A total of 70 patients with uterine fibroids and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in this study between 2012 and 2014. The serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF were measured using ELISA. Multiple-factor analysis was performed to assess the association between serum levels of IGF-1/VEGF and certain clinical characteristics, including size, location, number of uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. Progression-free survival curves were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF in patients with uterine fibroids prior to UAE treatment were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). At 1 week after UAE treatment, the serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF were significantly lower compared with those prior to UAE treatment. The serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF at 1 or 3 months after UAE treatment were significantly higher than those at 1 week after UAE treatment. The serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF were significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics of uterine fibroids (P<0.05). Lower levels of IGF-1 and VEGF in the serum following UAE treatment were associated with an enhanced progression-free survival of patients. In conclusion, the levels of IGF-1 and VEGF in the serum following UAE treatment can be used as indicators of prognosis in patients with uterine fibroids.
Keywords: insulin-like growth factor 1; uterine artery embolization; uterine fibroid; vascular endothelial growth factor.