title: Expression and significance of factors related to angiogenesis in choroidal melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  TO INVESTIGATE EXPRESSION OF FACTORS RELATED TO ANGIOGENESIS: HIF-1α, iNOS, COX-2 and VEGF in choroidal melanoma and its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty samples of choroidal melanoma and 15 samples of melanocytic nevi of the eyelid identified by pathology were collected. Immunohistochemistry SP method was used to examine the expression of HIF-1α, iNOS, COX-2 and VEGF in these samples. The comparison among groups was done by SPSS 13.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rates of HIF-1α, iNOS, COX-2 and VEGF in choroidal melanoma group were significantly higher than those in eyelid nevi group (χ(2)=6.5542, 7.7224, 8.5828, 15.1749). The positive expression rate of VEGF was associated with the tumor size (χ(2)=10.9194), but was not associated with pathological type (χ(2)=2.0712) and the situation of scleral invasion (χ(2)=5.4289). The positive expression rate of HIF-1α was associated with the tumor size (χ(2)=7.1216) and pathological type (χ(2)=9.0889), but was not associated with the situation of scleral invasion (χ(2)=3.3586). The positive expression rate of iNOS was associated with the tumor size (χ(2)=9.5503), but was not associated with pathological type (χ(2)=1.9450) and the situation of scleral invasion (χ(2)=2.3810). The positive expression rate of COX-2 was associated with the tumor size (χ(2)=7.2970), but was not associated with pathological type (χ(2)=1.8421) and the situation of scleral invasion (χ(2)=0.4018). The expression of HIF-1α, iNOS and COX-2 were significantly associated with the expression of VEGF (r=0.9429, 1, 0.9857). The expression of COX-2 was significantly associated with the expression of iNOS (r=0.9857). The expression of HIF-1α was significantly associated with the expression of COX-2 (r=0.9857). The expression of HIF-1α was significantly associated with the expression of iNOS (r=0. 9429).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of HIF-1α, iNOS and COX-2 protein in choroidal melanoma were higher and may relate to angiogenesis and stimulate tumor growth. Determination of HIF-1α, iNOS and COX-2 may be helpful for the diagnosis and therapy of this tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical Collage, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Gui-Qiu
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Rong
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Sun