title: Study on vasculogenic mimicry in malignant esophageal stromal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether malignant esophageal stromal tumors contain PAS-positive patterned matrix-associated vascular channels, which are lined by tumor cells, but not vascular endothelial cells. That is vasculogenic mimicry (VM) independent of tumor angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six tissue samples of malignant esophageal stromal tumors were analyzed. Tissue sections were stained for Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31 and periodic acid Schiff (PAS). The level of VEGF, the microvascular density (MVD) and the vasculogenic mimicry density (VMD) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAS-positive patterned matrix-associated vascular channels were detected in 33.3% (12/36) of tumor samples. Within these patterned channels, red blood cells were found. The level of VEGF and the MVD in tumors containing patterned channels were significantly higher than those in tumors not containing patterned channels (P < 0.05). At the same time, the malignant degree of tumors was higher, the proportions of tumors containing patterned channels were not only more, but also in the each kind of tumors containing patterned channels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In malignant esophageal stromal tumors, a VM mechanism causes some tumor cells to deform themselves and secrete extracellular matrix; thus, PAS-positive patterned matrix-associated vascular channels appear and supplying blood to the tumors to sustain their growth and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250002, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-Meng
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A