Endoglin as a marker in cervical paragangliomas.
BACKGROUND
Endoglin is expressed on endothelium and is implicated in the control of angiogenesis. This study compares the expression of endoglin with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), commonly used as a marker for neoangiogenesis in cervical paragangliomas (CPG).


METHODS
The CPG were surgically obtained from 5 patients and compared with nontumoral lung obtained from patients subjected to pulmonary resection. Detection with specific antibodies was used to determine the expression of the proteins VEGF and endoglin. The expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were used to determine the degree of hypoxia and capillarization, respectively.


RESULTS
Endoglin is located at the plasma membrane of endothelial cells. The relative expression of endoglin is significantly higher in CPG respect to lung (p < .02), whereas that of VEGF is similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoglin expression in CPG is significantly superior to that of VEGF and correlates with tumor vascularization.
Eleno
Nélida
N
Instituto Reina Sofía de Investigación Nefrológica & Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Spain.
Düwel
Annette
A
Muñoz
Angel
A
Paz-Bouza
José
J
López-Novoa
Jose-Miguel
JM
Lozano
Francisco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018450:Disease Progression; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A