title: Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome-associated papillary cystadenoma of the epididymis.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a hypoxia inducible angiogenic and vascular permeability factor. Although VEGF expression in glioblastoma is induced by hypoxia, its expression in renal cell carcinoma and hemangioblastoma is thought to be related to mutation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene. It is not certain whether other lesions in VHL syndrome are associated with an elevated VEGF level. We report a VHL syndrome patient with multiple hemangioblastomas and bilateral epididymal clear cell papillary cystadenomas. In situ hybridization revealed high levels of VEGF mRNA in the clear cells of the epididymal tumor and the stromal cells of the hemangioblastoma. This lends support to the notion that upregulation of VEGF is caused by loss of the wild-type VHL protein. We postulate that the elevated VEGF levels may account for the cyst formation and vascularized stroma present in these VHL-associated tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018292:Cystadenoma, Papillary / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D006623:von Hippel-Lindau Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors