WT1 expression correlates with angiogenesis in endometrial cancer tissue.
BACKGROUND
No direct comparison has been made of the relationship between the expression of Wilms' tumor gene WT1 within tumor cells and angiogenesis in vivo.


METHODS
A series of 70 endometrial cancer patients who had undergone a curative resection was studied by immunohistochemistry to determine the correlation between WT1 expression, angiogenesis (proliferation of endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, PECAM-1/CD31) and angiogenic growth factor (vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF).


RESULTS
A strong association was found between WT1 expression score and mean vascular density (p<0.001, n=70, ϱ=0.568). Immunohistochemistry of serial sections revealed that WT1 and VEGF were co-expressed in the same area of endometrial cancer tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor-produced WT1, which may regulate the expression of VEGF, is found to be associated with induction of angiogenesis in endometrial cancer.
Dohi
Satoshi
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kanazawa University, Graduate School of Medical Science, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640 Japan. satoshi.dohi1018@gmail.com
Ohno
Satoshi
S
Ohno
Yumiko
Y
Kyo
Satoru
S
Soma
Gen-Ichiro
G
Sugiyama
Haruo
H
Inoue
Masaki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D025721:WT1 Proteins