title: Expression of endogenous hypoxia markers in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of endogenous hypoxia-related markers identified as being involved in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed immunohistochemical staining of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α), glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1), carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), on tissue sections of 25 VSCC patients, 10 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) patients and 12 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIF-1α expression was found in all sections, with no significant difference between controls, VIN and VSCC sections (all P<0.05). Glut-1 expression was found in 25% of control, 90% of VIN and 100% of VSCC sections. A significant difference between control and VIN or VSCC was observed (all P<0.05), while no difference was found between VIN and VSCC sections (P>0.05). CA-9 expression was negative in control sections, but it was found in 30% of VIN sections and 52% of VSCC sections with strong staining. Similarly, CA-9 expression also showed obvious differences between controls and VIN or VSCC sections (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between VIN and VSCC (P>0.05). There were only 25% of control sections with weak VEGF expression, while strong staining was found in about 60% of VIN sections and 25% of VSCC sections (all P<0.05). In addition, a difference was also found between VIN and VSCC sections (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of endogenous hypoxia markers (HIF-1α, GLUT-1, CA-9 and VEGF) might be involved in the malignant progression of VSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, China. liyuzhu2003@126.com
authors.forename: Yu-Zhu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shu-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Jie
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiu-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071231:Carbonic Anhydrase IX; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000378:metabolism; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014844:Vulva / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C089226:CA9 protein, human; D000071231:Carbonic Anhydrase IX; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases