Diurnal fluctuation of edema synchronized with plasma VEGF concentration in a patient with POEMS syndrome

Abstract

A case of POEMS syndrome in a 49-year-old Japanese woman is reported. The patient exhibited prominent edema in her legs at night, but her edema usually improved by the following morning. The plasma concentrations of VEGF in the patient showed diurnal fluctuations; plasma VEGF levels peaked at night and decreased in the daytime. Immunocytochemical study demonstrated the expression of VEGF in IgA- and λ-positive plasma cells in bone marrow. The results indicate that VEGF was produced at least by plasma cells and that VEGF production was regulated by circadian rhythm in synchronization with the development of edema.