title: Correlative study of microvessel density and 5-lipoxygenase expression in human sporadic colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) is an arachidonic acid- metabolizing enzyme, which has been demonstrated to exert a role in colorectal cancer tumorigenesis. Its activity in promoting neoangiogenesis in colorectal malignancies has been also recently theorized on the basis of in vitro studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether any correlation existed between 5-LO immunoexpression amount and the quantity of neoangiogenesis, as reflected by microvessel density (MVD) in human sporadic surgically resected colorectal adenocarcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 45 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded colorectal adenocarcinomas were submitted to the immunohistochemical procedures for 5-LO and CD105, which represent specific markers for neoangiogenesis and which were used in the assessment of MVD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD105-positive, intratumoral, newly formed vessels were present in 45 of 45 cases with variable MVD values. A 5-LO-positive immunohistochemical reaction was also found in 45 of 45 cases. A significantly higher MVD was evident in cases displaying a high 5-LO amount in comparison with those characterized by a low 5-LO expression (28.33 vs 19.44 vessels per mm(2); P = .02). In addition, a positive significant correlation emerged between 5-LO immunoexpression amount and the MVD counts (r = 0.2986, P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates the existence of a relationship between 5-LO expression and the neoangiogenesis process as reflected by intratumoral MVD in human sporadic colorectal adenocarcinomas, thus suggesting that 5-LO may modulate the formation of blood vessels in these neoplasias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. valeriabarresi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barresi
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vitarelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tuccari
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barresi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase