Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as a Predictor Marker of Progression in Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease

Abstract Background Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) encompasses a group of heterogeneous diseases characterized by varying degrees of aberrant inflammation and fibrosis of the lung parenchyma. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signal protein produced by cells that stimulates the formation of blood vessels and might be implicated in the abnormal signaling in the pathogenesis of chILD. Objectives To measure the level of VEGF in serum among patients with chILD and determine its relation to the clinical severity. Patients and Methods This cross sectional study has been conducted at Pediatric Pulmonology clinic; Ain Shams University Children’s Hospital located in Cairo during the period from January 2023 to June 2023. The study included 35 children compared to 35 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. All patients were assessed in terms of demographic, clinical data and laboratory investigations including serum VGEF using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique along with radiological findings. Results The most common clinical finding was cough (93.3%) while the most common systemic symptom was anorexia and weight loss (46.7%). Serum VGEF level was significantly elevated among chILD patients 120 (80 - 200) pg/ml compared to controls 13 (9-16) pg/ml. Moreover, serum VEGF was significantly elevated among severe cases of chILD compared to non severe ones, p-value<0.001. Conclusion Serum VGEF was significantly higher among chILD patients especially severe cases.