Vascular endothelial growth factor and endoglin expression in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression has been associated with advanced stage and poor survival in several cancers. Additionally, endoglin was proposed as a marker of neovascularization in solid malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the VEGF and endoglin expression in colorectal carcinoma patients, as well as to correlate the VEGF and endoglin expression with standard parameters, to define their potential prognostic role. VEGF and endoglin expression were evaluated in 99 unrelated patients with colorectal cancer using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Vascular endothelial growth factor and endoglobin expression were positively interrelated. No significant correlation of VEGF and endoglin expression with clinicopathological parameters was observed in our cases. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves have demonstrated a clear association of cancer-specific overall survival with high VEGF, as well as high endoglin expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results support that VEGF and endoglin act as two valuable indicators of prognosis.
Dassoulas
Konstantinos
K
First Surgical Department, "Tzaneion" Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.
Gazouli
Maria
M
Theodoropoulos
George
G
Christoni
Zoi
Z
Rizos
Spyros
S
Zisi-Serbetzoglou
Adamantia
A
Glava
Chrissa
C
Karantanos
Theodoros
T
Klonaris
Christos
C
Karakitsos
Petros
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A