title: The prognostic implications of microvascular density and lymphatic vessel density in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Comparative analysis between the traditional whole sections and the tissue microarray.
abstract: Focal distribution of microvascular and lymphatic vessels is a critical issue in cancer, and is measured by tissue microarray (TMA) construction from paraffin-embedded surgically obtained tissues, a process that may not accurately reflect true focal distribution. The aim of this study was to assess the concordance of microvascular density (MVD) and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in TMAs with corresponding whole sections, and to correlate the MVD or LVD with clinicopathological parameters in 124 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). MVD, determined by CD105 immunohistochemistry of whole sections, was strongly associated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.000) and pTNM stage (p=0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that increasing CD105 microvessel count correlated with decreasing survival (p<0.001). The same result was acquired when MVD was calculated from tissue microarrays. Analysis of continuous data showed a highly significant correlation between whole sections and TMA data (Pearson r=0.522, p<0.001). Increasing LVD, as determined by D2-40 immunohistochemistry of whole sections, correlated with decreasing survival, but this relationship was undetectable using TMAs. In conclusion, we demonstrate that for the selected endothelial markers, TMAs can provide a realistic and reliable estimate of the extent of MVD, but not LVD in ESCC samples.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Institute of Oncologic Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Wang-Kai
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Institute of Oncologic Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiu-E
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hao
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jie-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Jin-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Chun-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Shao-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China. Electronic address: nmli@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China; Institute of Oncologic Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, PR China. Electronic address: lyxu@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphatic vessel density; Microvascular density; Tissue microarray; Traditional whole sections