The prognostic value of angiogenesis by Chalkley counting in gallbladder carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Tumor angiogenesis has been proposed as essential to tumor growth, proliferation and metastases however, for gallbladder neoplasia, these data remain obscure. Therefore, it was performed this study with the objective of evaluating the prognostic value of angiogenesis in gallbladder cancer.


METHODS
Thirty cases of gallbladder carcinoma were studied by immunohistochemical technique with antibody anti-CD105 for the identification of neoformed intratumoral vessels. The intratumoral micro vessel density was evaluated by Chalkley counting method, and researched the association of this index with the survival rate and the prognostic factors.


RESULTS
It was obtained, starting from the analysis of these data, a cut off in the index of the tumor vascular density at 8.5. It was observed an association between high intratumoral micro vessel density (index above or equal to 8.5) and survival rate lower to 6 months in 84.6% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study confirms the hypothesis that a high vascular density, appraised through the Chalkley counting method, is associated to a worse prognosis in patients of gallbladder carcinoma.
da Rocha
Andréa Oxley
AO
Department of Pathology, Fundaçăo Faculdade Federal de Ciências Médicas, Porto Alegre, Brazil. aoxley@terra.com.br
Coutinho
Lígia Maria Barbosa
LM
Schall
Joăo Grigoletti
JG
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate