Assessing microvessels and angiogenesis in human breast cancer, using VE-cadherin.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, also known as cadherin-5 and CD144, is an adhesion molecule uniquely expressed in endothelial cells. We hypothesized that VE-cadherin may be a useful marker for assessing microvessels and angiogenesis in human breast cancer and sought to determine whether a correlation exists between levels of VE-cadherin, angiogenic markers factor VIII and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1 and patient outcome in breast cancer.


RESULTS
Frozen sections from breast cancer primary tumours (tumour n = 114, background n = 30) were immunostained with VE-cadherin, factor VIII and PECAM-1 antibodies and microvessel number was assessed. RNA was reverse transcribed and analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). VE-cadherin immunostaining showed a significant difference in microvessel number in tumour compared with background. There was no significant difference in the number of microvessels stained with PECAM-1 or factor VIII; there was increased staining of other structures within the sample and higher general background staining. Q-PCR revealed elevated levels of VE-cadherin and PECAM-1 in tumour samples compared with background tissue and in patients with a poor prognosis, as determined by the Nottingham Prognostic Index. There was no difference in levels with factor VIII. Both VE-cadherin and PECAM-1 had significantly reduced expression in lobular compared with ductal carcinomas: there was no difference with factor VIII.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of angiogenic marker molecules in breast cancer may have an association with poor prognosis in patients. Moreover, VE-cadherin appears to be a preferable marker for such analysis.
Martin
T A
TA
Metastasis Research Group, University Department of Surgery, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK. martinta1@cf.ac.uk
Watkins
G
G
Lane
J
J
Jiang
W G
WG
D015703:Antigens, CD; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D000099152:Cadherin 5
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013925:Thromboplastin; D000099152:Cadherin 5