sFlt-1: a double regulator in angiogenesis-related diseases.

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a supergene family derived from a platelet growth factor. It plays a pivotal role in regulating angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. sFlt-1 is a soluble antagonist of VEGF with an essential effect of maintaining the balance of vascular growth. Recently, sFlt-1 has emerged as a new marker for early diagnosis and disease surveillance of angiogenesis-related diseases. However, few comprehensive reviews focus on the relationship between sFlt-1 and related diseases despite that many results have yielded. METHODS In this review, we analyzed the relationship between sFlt-1 and angiogenesis-related diseases by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and other databases, and summarized our current understanding of the role of sFlt-1 in angiogenesis-related diseases. RESULTS sFlt-1 is associated with pre-eclampsia, perinatal cardiomyopathy, diabetic nephropathy, hypertension, tumor, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. The mechanisms of sFlt-1 that regulate those diseases are mainly associated with the bioavailability of VEGF and vascular endothelial cell integrity. CONCLUSION From the summary article, sFlt-1 is a double regulator in angiogenesis-related diseases; too much or too little may cause different diseases. Therefore, maintaining the stability of sFlt-1 content in the body is essential to control the development of related diseases.