Impact of c-Met expression on angiogenesis in soft tissue sarcomas: correlation to microvessel-density.
OBJECTIVE
The c-Met protein is significant for oncogenesis and angiogenesis within the c-Met/HGF/SF-mediator system. The aim of this study was the analysis of c-Met immunoexpression/-synthesis and microvessel density as parameters for angiogenesis and prognosis in 115 soft tissue sarcomas.


RESULTS
C-Met could be detected by immunohistochemistry in 87% of sarcomas. In all, 60.9% of cases exhibited absent or faint expression of c-Met protein, and 39.1% high expression of c-Met protein with a correlation between tumor grading and c-Met immunoexpression. Using in situ hybridization with detection of c-met-mRNA-transcripts, c-Met protein synthesis within tumor cells could be demonstrated. A statistically significant correlation between c-Met immunoexpression and tumor microvessel density was found. No prognostic value of c-Met expression and microvessel density could be detected in 56 patients with clinical follow-up ( P=0.8506 and P=0.9329 for disease-free survival).


CONCLUSIONS
The results underline a role of c-Met as an oncoprotein in soft tissue sarcomas with correlation between immunoexpression and grading. The statistically significant correlation between c-Met expression and microvessel density (as a parameter of tumor angiogenesis) suggests an angiogenic function of the c-Met/HGF/SF mediator system in malignant mesenchymal tumors.
Kuhnen
Cornelius
C
Institute for Pathology, Limb tumor registry, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany. patho-bhl@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Muehlberger
Thomas
T
Honsel
Maria
M
Tolnay
Edina
E
Steinau
Hans Ulrich
HU
Müller
Klaus-Michael
KM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met