title: The prognostic significance of vasohibin-1 expression in patients with prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We recently isolated vasohibin-1 (VASH1), a novel angiogenic molecule that is specifically expressed in activated vascular endothelial cells (ECs), and the status of VASH1 expression has been documented in various cancer angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of VASH1 expression in prostate cancer (PCa).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we retrospectively analysed the clinical records and evaluated the VASH1 expression of tumour microvessels in 167 patients with PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy. We immunohistochemically examined the microvessels positive for anti-CD34 as microvessel density (MVD) and the microvessels with activated ECs positive for VASH1 density.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the VASH1 expression was restricted to ECs in the tumour stroma. VASH1 density was significantly associated with pathological T stage, Gleason score and MVD. The 5-year PSA recurrence-free survival rate was 58.8% in patients with higher VASH1 density (≧12 per mm(2)) and 89.1% in patients with lower VASH1 density (<12 per mm(2)), respectively (P<0.001). Microvessel density was not an independent predictor of PSA recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that high VASH1 density was an independent prognostic indicator of PSA recurrence (P=0.007, HR=2.950).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VASH1 density represents a clinically relevant predictor of patient prognosis and can be a new biomarker that would provide additional prognostic information in PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D002452:Cell Count; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C493181:VASH1 protein, human; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen