title: Relationship between microvessel count and clinicopathological characteristics and postoperative survival in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between microvessel count (MVC) according to CD34 expression and clinicopathological characteristics or prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma (PC) patients who underwent hepatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD34 expression was analyzed using immunohistochemical methods. Mean MVC in 5 areas per specimen and clinicopathological factors were consecutively examined in 42 PC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median MVC for PC patients was 123/mm2, which was applied as a cut-off value. Higher MVC was significantly associated with the advanced Japanese tumor-node-metastasis stage IVa and IVb (p=0.034). Univariate survival analysis identified higher carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9 level, infiltrative type on macroscopic examination, invasive ductal carcinoma, node metastasis and higher tumor-node-metastasis classification were significantly associated with poor survival. The 5-year overall survival rate in the higher MVC group tended to be lower than that in the higher MVC group (37 vs. 55%), but not statistically significant (p=0.15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor MVC might be a candidate prognostic marker of PC patient survival after pancreatectomy and further investigation in a larger series is warranted to clarify the significance of this marker.
authors: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan. a-nanasm@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Nanashima
authors: Kenichirou
authors: K
authors: Shibata
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Nakayama
authors: Takafumi
authors: T
authors: Abo
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Nonaka
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Fukuda
authors: Hidetoshi
authors: H
authors: Fukuoka
authors: Shigekazu
authors: S
authors: Hidaka
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Takeshita
authors: Terumitsu
authors: T
authors: Sawai
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Yasutake
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Nagayasu
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D010193:Pancreaticojejunostomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34