title: Quantification of angiogenesis in cervical cancer: a comparison among three endothelial cell markers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantification of angiogenesis by assessing microvessel density in cervical cancer, comparing the performance of three monoclonal antibodies: anti-CD34 and BNH9, which are still little known markers in cervical neoplasia, and anti-CD31.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four consecutive patients diagnosed with stages I and II invasive cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy were evaluated. The monoclonal primary antibodies used were anti-CD34, anti-CD31 and BNH9 antibody. The areas of highest microvessel density were used for counting microvessels in 10 high-power fields. Microvessel density was the mean vessel number counted in 10 high-power fields.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean of microvessel density was 10.3, 9.7 and 5.8 for anti-CD34, BNH9 and anti-CD31, respectively. According to the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test, microvessel density estimated by anti-CD34 and BNH9 was significantly higher than the microvessel density estimated by anti-CD31. The difference between microvessel density measured by anti-CD34 and BNH9 was not statistically significant. There was diagnostic agreement in 44 out of 54 cases for anti-CD34 and BNH9 monoclonal antibodies, kappa coefficient being 0.63. The kappa coefficient was 0.41 between anti-CD34 and anti-CD31 and 0.26 between anti-CD31 and BNH9.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-CD34 and BNH9 seem to have higher sensitivity than anti-CD31. The agreement to quantify microvessel density between anti-CD34 and BNH9 is higher than between them and anti-CD31. Additionally, considering that the BNH9 is much less unknown than anti-CD34 and that they showed very similar performance, the BNH9 clinical significance should be test in different neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. sabasmarcia@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Sabas Carlos
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Zeferino
authors.forename: Benedito Borges
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Glauce
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aparecida Pinto
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: Gislaine Aparecida Fonsechi
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Carasan
authors.forename: Natália Guimarães
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: De Moraes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1