Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenesis in cardiac myxoma: a study of fifteen patients.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the association between angiogenesis and the clinicopathologic features in cardiac myxoma, vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the myxoma was examined by using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, and the microvessel density was determined by counting microvessels in the myxoma by using immunostaining for platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1.


METHODS
Seven fresh-frozen and 15 formalin-embedded tissues were analyzed by means of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining for vascular endothelial growth factor, respectively. The microvessel density was measured in the 15 formalin-embedded tissues. Furthermore, immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen was performed, and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index was calculated.


RESULTS
All of the 7 analyzed myxomas were positive for vascular endothelial growth factor messenger RNA, as determined by means of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, whereas atrial septum and atrium tissues were negative. Positive immunohistochemical reaction for vascular endothelial growth factor was observed in the cells of all 15 myxomas. The size of myxomas with high vascular endothelial growth factor expression was smaller than that of myxomas with low vascular endothelial growth factor expression. The microvessel density in myxomas with high vascular endothelial growth factor expression was higher than that in myxomas with low vascular endothelial growth factor expression. There was an inverse correlation between the tumor size and the ratio of the microvessel density in the central part to the microvessel density in the peripheral part of myxomas. Furthermore, there was an inverse correlation between the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index and the tumor size, and the prolferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index in myxomas with high vascular endothelial growth factor expression was higher than that in myxomas with low vascular endothelial growth factor expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac myxomas produce vascular endothelial growth factor, which probably induces angiogenesis for tumor growth.
Kono
T
T
Second Department of Surgery, First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Koide
N
N
Hama
Y
Y
Kitahara
H
H
Nakano
H
H
Suzuki
J
J
Isobe
M
M
Amano
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors