title: Endoglin, VEGF, and its receptors in predicting metastases in endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: Preoperative evaluation of the risk for metastases in endometrial carcinoma is challenging. The growth of new vessels, angiogenesis, is important for tumor growth and purported to be involved in the metastatic process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of preoperative serum levels and immunohistochemical expression of angiogenic markers in predicting a metastasized disease. Preoperative sera from 98 consecutive women presenting with endometrial carcinoma were collected. Serum concentrations of VEGF, sFLT1, and CD105 were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of CD105, VEGF, FLT1, and KDR. The results were correlated to the presence of metastases, presence of deep (≥50%) myometrial invasion, and the histological grade of the tumor. Tumors with other than endometrioid histology were excluded. Of the 80 evaluable patients, 11 had a metastasized disease. The serum concentration of VEGF was higher in the group with metastases than in the group without metastases (median [range], 743 pg/mL [546-1,183 pg/mL] vs. 383 pg/mL [31-1,524 pg/mL], p < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariable analysis, the concentration of VEGF was the sole independent, albeit weak predictive factor for the presence of metastases (odds ratio, 1.004, 95% confidence interval, 1.002-1.007; p = 0.001). The immunohistochemical expression of the markers was not associated with any of the clinicopathological features of the tumors. The results of the present study suggest that preoperative serum VEGF concentration correlates with the presence of metastases in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, P.O. Box 2000, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland, sami.saarelainen@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Sami K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Saarelainen
authors.forename: Synnöve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Staff
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peltonen
authors.forename: Terho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtimäki
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kujala
authors.forename: Maarit H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vuento
authors.forename: Johanna U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Mäenpää
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D000071063:Endoglin; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1