Background: The role of inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines in patients with inflammatory pericardial effusion still remains uncertain.
Methods: We assessed pericardial and serum levels of VEGF, bFGF, IL-1β and TNF-α by ELISA in patients with inflammatory pericardial effusion (PE) of autoreactive (n = 22) and viral (n = 11) origin, and for control in pericardial fluid (PF) and serum (n = 26) of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Results: VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with autoreactive and viral PE than in patients with CAD in both PE (P = 0.006 for autoreactive and P < 0.001 for viral PE) and serum (P < 0.001 for autoreactive and P < 0.001 for viral PE). Pericardial bFGF levels were higher compared to serum levels in patients with inflammatory PE and patients with CAD (P ≤ 0.001 for CAD; P ≤ 0.001 for autoreactive PE; P = 0, 005 for viral PE). Pericardial VEGF levels correlated positively with markers of pericardial inflammation, whereas pericardial bFGF levels showed a negative correlation. IL-1β and TNF-α were detectable only in few PE and serum samples.
Conclusions: VEGF and bFGF levels in pericardial effusion are elevated in patients with inflammatory PE. It is thus possible that VEGF and bFGF participate in the pathogenesis of inflammatory pericardial disease.