title: Squamous cell carcinomas of the skin explore angiogenesis-independent mechanisms of tumour vascularization.
abstract: Aims. To evaluate the vascularization in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin. Methods. We performed CD31 (i.e., panendothelial marker) and CD105 (i.e., proliferating endothelium marker) immunostaining on samples of 70 SCCs and 70 BCCs of the skin. We evaluated the relative blood vessel area using the Chalkley counting method in each histologic subtype of these tumours. We calculated the degree of proliferation of blood vessel endothelium dividing CD105-Chalkley score by CD31-Chalkley score. Results. We found significantly higher peritumoral and intratumoral blood vessel area in SCC when compared to BCC (both with CD31 and CD105). Chalkley counts differed significantly between groups with different BCC histologic subtypes and SCC with different grade of differentiation. Surprisingly, the degree of proliferation of blood vessel endothelium was higher in BCC when compared to SCC. Conclusions. While SCC exhibited significantly higher intratumoral and peritumoral blood vessel areas compared to BCC, the relatively low rate of proliferating endothelium in this tumour type suggests the existence of endothelial-sprouting-independent mechanisms of vascularization in SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital "Clinico Lozano Blesa," Calle San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Ievgenia
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1287-2212
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pastushenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital "Clinico Lozano Blesa," Calle San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gracia-Cazaña
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital "Miguel Servet," Paseo Isabel la Católica 1-3, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicente-Arregui
authors.affiliation: Translational Cancer Research Unit Antwerp, Oncology Centre, General Hospital Sint-Augustinus, Oosterveldlaan 24, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gert G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Van den Eynden
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital "Clinico Lozano Blesa," Calle San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.affiliation: Translational Cancer Research Unit Antwerp, Oncology Centre, General Hospital Sint-Augustinus, Oosterveldlaan 24, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Calle Domingo Miral s/n, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Franciso José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carapeto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital "Miguel Servet," Paseo Isabel la Católica 1-3, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain ; Department of Oncology, KU of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Van Laere