Abstract
Background: Mesothelioma and ovarian cancer have been reported to have a similar pathogenesis, and for this reason it was hypothesized that there may be biomarkers in common and possibly associated with benign pleural diseases caused by asbestos exposure.
Methods: Serum biomarkers including insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), leptin, prolactin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in an observational study of subjects with benign asbestos-related pleural diseases (BARPD) (n=24) and healthy subjects with an asbestos exposure history (n=12).
Results: Mean serum IGF-II and VEGF concentration in healthy subjects with a history of asbestos exposure were higher than those with BARPD. Mean serum concentrations of leptin and prolactin showed opposite trends when compared to IGF-II and VEGF concentrations among these groups.
Conclusions: The results suggest that IGF-II and VEGF concentrations are lower in BARPD, similar to studies of ovarian cancer. This finding warrants further investigation with malignant asbestos-related diseases.



















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