Microvessel density and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, and platelet-derived endothelial growth factor in oral squamous cell carcinomas.
Angiogenesis, the growth of capillary vessels, plays an important role in the metabolic functions of malignant tissues. Tumor growth and malignant transformation are considered to be dominated by uncontrolled angiogenesis. To understand the mechanism of increased vascularity associated with malignant tissues, we immunohistochemically evaluated microvessel density (MVD) and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived endothelial growth factor (PDGF) in oral cancers. Microvessel density did not differ significantly between normal oral mucosa and epithelial dysplasia, but was significantly increased in tumor tissues. Expression of angiogenic factors was not found in normal oral mucosa, but increased in association with increasing vascularity in OSCC tissue. In tumor tissue, angiogenic factor expression correlated with MVD. MVD in OSCC was related to T stage, tumor differentiation, and stage of invasion. VEGF expression also correlated with tumor differentiation and the stage of invasion. These findings suggest that VEGF might play an important role in tumor angiogenesis of OSCC.
Li
C
C
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, China.
Shintani
S
S
Terakado
N
N
Klosek
S K
SK
Ishikawa
T
T
Nakashiro
K
K
Hamakawa
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000032:analysis*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis*
D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase