title: Immunohistochemical study of tumour angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: To assess the clinical significance of angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we examined vessel density immunohistochemically in 44 primary oral SCCs using the JC-70A antibody which reacts specifically with vascular endothelial cells. In addition, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, KDR, Flt-1 and Flt-4 in oral SCCs was examined in relation to the vessel density and lymph node metastasis. There was no association of vessel density with tumour site, T-category (tumour size), degree of differentiation or cervical lymph node metastasis, except that the vessel density of carcinomas with a well-defined tumour-stromal boundary was higher than that of diffusely invasive carcinomas. The intensity of VEGF expression correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), but not with vessel density. The expression of KDR and Flt-1 did not correlate with vessel density and lymph node metastasis. However, the vessel density in Flt-4-positive carcinomas was higher than that in Flt-4-negative carcinomas (P < 0.05), and expression of Flt-4 most significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). These results suggest that the expression of VEGF or Flt-4 rather than vessel density may be a predictor of lymph node metastasis in oral SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawashiri
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kakihara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor