title: Microvessel Landscape Assessment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Unclear Value of Targeting Endoglin (CD105) as Prognostic Factor of Clinical Outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumor angiogenesis based on microvessel density assessment has been associated with poor prognosis in several studies of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Expression of endoglin (CD105), a tumor-induced vascularization marker, has been found to represent a negative prognostic factor in many malignant tumors. The aim of our study was to assess the value of tumoral microvascularity both with pan-endothelial markers and endoglin as well, in correlation with the clinical outcome of patients with PDAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients with PDAC, 36 males and 22 females, with a mean (SD) age of 65.4 (10.0) years were included in the study. Deparaffinized sections from formalin-fixed areas both from the center and periphery (invasion front) of the tumors were immunostained for CD105 as well as for the endothelial markers CD31 and CD34. Tumoral angiogenesis was assessed on the basis of microvessel density (number of vessels per square millimeter) and on microvascular area (square micrometers) as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High intratumoral microvascular area, in endoglin-stained sections, was found to be of marginal prognostic significance for recurrence (log rank, P 0.05). Survival was also marginally associated with CD31 intratumoral microvascular area (log rank, P 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies are needed before endoglin replaces the conventional angiogenesis markers in PDCA.
authors: From the *1st Department of Surgery, †2nd Department of Pathology, and ‡Department of Pathology, General Hospital "Konstantopouleio-Agia Olga" Hospital; and §Department of Cytopathology, University of Athens Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Lytras
authors: Vassileia
authors: V
authors: Leontara
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Kefala
authors: Periklis G
authors: PG
authors: Foukas
authors: Niki
authors: N
authors: Giannakou
authors: Abraham
authors: A
authors: Pouliakis
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Dervenis
authors: Ioannis G
authors: IG
authors: Panayiotides
authors: Petros
authors: P
authors: Karakitsos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface