Study on relationship between angiogenesis and micrometastases of peripheral blood in breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between microvessel density, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and micrometastases in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer.


METHODS
Microvessel density (MVD) and expression of VEGF-A were detected by immunohistochemistry S-P. Nested RT-PCR was introduced to detect the expression of hMAM mRNA in peripheral blood of all cases.


RESULTS
Average MVD was 28.95 +/- 6.95 microvessels/100x and positive rate of VEGF-A was 64.0% (32/50) in 50 cases with breast cancer. MVD count and expression of VEGF-A were related to tumor size, metastasis of axillary lymph nodes and clinical stages (P < 0.05), independent of age and histological classification (P > 0.05). The positive rate of hMAM mRNA in peripheral blood was 34.0% (17/50), which correlated with lymphatic metastasis and clinical stages (P < 0.05), independent of pathological category, menopause and hormone receptor (P > 0.05). MVD count and positive rate of VEGF-A in breast cancer with positive expression of hMAM mRNA was obviously higher than those without hMAM mRNA expression (chi (2) = 5.766, P = 0.032; t = 5.37, P = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
MVD count and positive expression of VEGF-A closely correlated to hMAM mRNA released from tumor cells in the circulation. hMAM mRNA is expected to become a valuable marker for further study on micrometastases of breast cancer.
Xie
Xiao-Dong
XD
Oncology Department, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, 110016, Shenyang, Liaoning, China. xiexiaodong2008@gmail.com
Qu
Shu-Xian
SX
Liu
Zhao-Zhe
ZZ
Zhang
Fang
F
Zheng
Zhen-Dong
ZD
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C430872:MAML1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A