Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypospadias is a relatively common genital anomaly in humans, usually followed by inelastic dartos that causes penile chordee. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is strongly linked to the viscoelasticity of tissues and their elastic phase. This study aimed to evaluate VEGF expressions in (1) fascia dartos between hypospadias and controls and (2) chordee severity. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved 65 specimens from patients with hypospadias and ten specimens from controls. The samples were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for VEGF expression. RESULTS: The expressions of VEGF were not different between proximal and distal hypospadias patients and controls (fold change: distal - 0.25; fold change: proximal - 0.2; p = 0.664). The scaled expressions related to chordee severity were mild - 0.1; moderate 0.1; severe - 0.25 (p = 0.660). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF expressions might not affect the severity of hypospadias and chordee, implying the pathogenesis is complex involving many growth factors. Further study with a larger sample size is necessary to clarify and confirm our findings.