title: Specific expression of endoglin (CD105) in endothelial cells of intratumoral blood and lymphatic vessels in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Endoglin, a component of the transforming growth factor beta receptor expressed in embryonic vascular endothelial cells, is expressed in vascular endothelial cells in several types of cancer tissues and is involved in tumor angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression pattern of endoglin in pancreatic cancer and assess the involvement of this molecule in cancer progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreatic cancer and adjacent normal tissues obtained from 36 patients were subjected to immunostaining with anti-endoglin antibody, and the microvessel density (MVD) was assessed based on the number of endoglin-positive vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endoglin was expressed in endothelial cells of small capillary-like vessels in pancreatic cancer tissues from all 36 patients, and lymphatic endothelial cells in the tumors also expressed endoglin. In contrast, endothelial cells of vascular and lymphatic vessels in normal pancreatic tissue did not express endoglin. Patients with a higher MVD of endoglin-positive vessels had shorter disease-free and overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoglin is specifically expressed in endothelial cells of small vascular and lymphatic vessels in cancer tissues. The MVD of endoglin-positive vessels may also be a useful prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. yoshitomi@faculty.chiba-u.jp
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshitomi
authors.forename: Souichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshidome
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000276:immunology; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000071063:Endoglin; D004729:Endothelium, Lymphatic / Q000276:immunology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface