Expression of VEGF and its receptors and angiogenesis in bone and soft tissue tumors.
BACKGROUND
Tumor angiogenesis and vascularization are essential requirements for the growth and metastasis of tumors. There is evidence that overexpression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is correlated with an adverse prognosis in some tumors. The expression of VEGF, its receptors and microvessel density (MVD) of bone and soft tissue tumors was evaluated.


METHODS
Tissue specimens of 60 patients including 30 malignant and 30 benign tumors confirmed by biopsy were examined. Expression of VEGF and its receptors (flt-1 and KDR/flk-1) was observed by immunohistochemistry. Tumor angiogenesis was assessed morphologically by measuring intratumoral MVD.


RESULTS
Semi-quantitative evaluation of immunoreactivity showed that VEGF was significantly higher in malignant tumors than in benign tumors. A correlation was found between the immunoreactivity of VEGF and KDR. Moreover, correlations were found either between MVD and VEGF or between MVD and KDR/flk-1.


CONCLUSIONS
Signal transduction, in particular by VEGF and KDR, potentially contributes to the angiogenesis of bone and soft tissue tumor.
Hara
Hitomi
H
Department of Oaopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
Akisue
Toshihiro
T
Fujimoto
Takuya
T
Imabori
Masaya
M
Kawamoto
Teruya
T
Kuroda
Ryosuke
R
Fujioka
Hiroyuki
H
Yamamoto
Tetsuji
T
Doita
Minoru
M
Kurosaka
Masahiro
M
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor