Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in Taiwanese benign and malignant prostate tissues.
BACKGROUND
The expression of vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) has been correlated to the grading and stage of prostate cancers. However, data regarding Taiwanese prostate cancer patients are lacking. The aim of the present study was to examine VEGF expression in our radical prostatectomy specimens.


METHODS
Fifty-one radical prostatectomy specimens with prostate cancer (15 stage pT2N0, 25 pT3N0, 11 pT2-4 N1) were stained using goat anti-human VEGF polyclonal antibody (AB-293NA; R&D Systems Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA). The VEGF expression in malignant and nonmalignant prostate tissues was compared. The correlations of VEGF immunoreactivity with Gleason scores and pathologic stages were examined. MannWhitney U test was used for comparison of preoperative prostate-specific antigen levels between patients with and without VEGF expression.


RESULTS
Positive VEGF staining was observed in 80.4% of malignant epithelia, 39.2% of peritumoral stroma, 68.6% of benign hyperplastic glands, and 25.5% of adjacent stroma. There was no difference in VEGF expression between malignant and nonmalignant areas. Advanced disease had significantly higher frequency of stroma but not epithelium VEGF staining as compared to organ-confined disease (p = 0.002 and p = 0.412, respectively). The Gleason 7 and higher tumors had significantly higher frequency of VEGF staining in stroma but not glandular epithelium (p = 0.041 and p = 0.353, respectively). Tumors with positive epithelium VEGF staining had significantly higher PSA levels (21.3 18.1 vs. 10.8 6.8 ng/mL; p = 0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no difference in VEGF immunoreactivity between malignant and benign prostatic epithelium in Taiwanese. High Gleason grade tumors and advanced disease had significantly higher frequency of VEGF expression in stroma but not glandular epithelium. Tumors with positive epithelium VEGF staining had significantly higher PSA levels.
Wu
Tony Tong-Lin
TT
Division of Urology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. tonywu@isca.vghks.gov.tw
Wang
Jyh-Seng
JS
Jiann
Bang-Ping
BP
Yu
Chia-Cheng
CC
Tsai
Jeng-Yu
JY
Lin
Jen-Tai
JT
Huang
Jong-Khing
JK
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000032:analysis
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1