Comparison of growth factor levels in patients with normal and hypospadiac prepuce*

Aim: To compare the growth factor levels in patients with normal and hypospadiac prepuce.Materials and methods: Patients who underwent hypospadias repair were included in the study. The prepuce was excised after achieving successful hypospadias repair with satisfactory functional and cosmetic appearance. The patients who underwent preputial reconstructions and complicated repairs were excluded. The control group consists of boys with outhypospadias. Elective circumcision was performed to have normal preputial samples. The VEGF levels, VEGF receptor(VEGFR) and TGF-β receptor (TGF-β-R) expressions were evaluated in preputial tissues by immunohistochemical analysis.Results: Fifteen patients were included in each group. The mean age of patients with normal and hypospadiac prepuce was 4.33 ± 1.39 and 4.07 ± 1.58, respectively (P 0.05). Although VEGF, VEGFR, and TGF-β-R levels were decreasedin hypospadiac prepuce, statistical significance was detected only in VEGF levels (P 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test).Conclusion: The decreased levels of VEGF obtained from patients with hypospadiac prepuce suggest a structuralanomaly related with angiogenesis. This structural difference can be considered one of the factors causing impaired wound healing and recurrent complications after preputial reconstructions in hypospadias repair.