Proliferation, angiogenesis and hormonal markers in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.
OBJECTIVE
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a highly vascular and locally invasive tumor that exclusively affects male adolescents. Sex hormones are first discussed to clarify the etiology of JNA. Recently with the advances in the field of cell biology angiogenetic markers, proliferation markers and growth factors are investigated to identify the molecular basis of JNA as all neoplasm. In this study we tried to evaluate the expression of proliferation, angiogenesis and hormonal markers in JNA.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical analysis were performed on paraffin-embedded 27 JNA samples which were obtained from the patients operated at University of Hacettepe Department of Otorhinolaryngology, a tertiary care center. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) specific antibodies were used and evaluated by light microscopy


RESULTS
Two of 27 cases were ER positive. Nine of 27 cases were positive for PR. All of the cases were stained with PCNA. Twenty-four of 27 cases stained with VEGF. TGF-beta was positive in 14 of 27 cases. All recurrent cases were stained with PCNA and VEGF; just three of them were stained with TGF-beta.


CONCLUSIONS
Hormonal markers ER and PR did not seem to play a role in pathogenesis of JNA. PCNA, VEGF and TGF-beta may play a role in the pathogenesis of JNA by promoting angiogenesis and proliferation, but this role did not seem to have a relation with hormonal markers.
Saylam
Güleser
G
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Hacettepe, Ankara, Turkey. guleserkilic@yahoo.com
Yücel
O Taşhin
OT
Sungur
Arzu
A
Onerci
Metin
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018322:Angiofibroma / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A