title: Clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of an angiogenic factor, thymidine phosphorylase, in human colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is known to promote the development of new blood vessels, which are fundamental to tumor growth and metastasis. We previously found that thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) and PD-ECGF are the same protein.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We retrospectively examined the expression of dThdPase in primary colorectal carcinomas, its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic findings, and its prognostic value.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissues were obtained from the tumors of 163 patients whose colorectal carcinomas were completely removed by surgery. Microvessels assessed by immunostaining endothelial cells for factor VIII were counted on a 400x field in the most active areas of neovascularization within the tumor. We purified the monoclonal antibody against dThdPase and studied the expression of dThdPase in the same serial sections used for the detection of factor VIII. Those who carried out microvessel counting and dThdPase expression assessment had no knowledge of clinicopathologic findings. The significance of dThdPase in the prognosis of patients with colorectal carcinomas was also examined in the survival analysis of mortality follow-up data covering the period between 1984 through 1991. Reported P values are from two-sided tests of statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean microvessel count (+/- standard deviation) in dThdPase-positive colorectal carcinoma specimens (17.5 +/- 7.2) was higher (P < .001) than that in dThdPase-negative carcinoma specimens (9.3 +/- 5.5). The dThdPase positivity was in accordance with the microvessel count. dThdPase positivity showed highly significant statistical associations with tumor size, extent of invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and venous invasion. Cox regression analysis revealed that dThdPase expression was prognostic for poor disease outcome after adjustment for Dukes' stage and microvessel count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that higher levels of dThdPase expression in colorectal carcinomas are associated with more extensive angiogenesis, poor clinical and laboratory findings, and unfavorable clinical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inhibition of dThdPase in human colorectal carcinomas might improve prognosis for some patients.
authors: Department of Cancer Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Takebayashi
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Akiyama
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Akiba
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Yamada
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Miyadera
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Sumizawa
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Yamada
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Murata
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Aikou
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase