title: Non-random spatial relationships between mast cells and microvessels in human endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: Mast cells (MCs) accumulate in the stroma surrounding tumors, where they secrete angiogenic cytokines and proteases, and an increased number of MCs have been demonstrated in angiogenesis associated with solid and hematological tumors. The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of distribution of MCs in tumors, investigating the pattern of distribution of tryptase-positive MCs around the blood vessels in human endometrial carcinoma samples by introducing a quantitative approach to characterize their spatial distribution. The results have shown that in human endometrial cancer bioptic specimens the spatial distribution of MCs shows significant deviation from randomness as compared with control group in which, instead, the spatial distribution of MCs is consistent with a random distribution. These findings confirm that MCs enhance tumor angiogenesis and their preferential localization along blood vessels and sites of new vessel formation sustaining the suggestion for an association between MCs and angiogenesis. However, this spatial association between vessels and MCs might simply reflect migrating MCs from the blood stream at vessel growing sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova Medical School, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guidolin
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences, and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marinaccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova Medical School, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences, and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Annese
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences, and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, University of Udine Medical School, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Finato
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Udine Medical School, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crivellato
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences, and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it.|National Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053802:Tryptases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053802:Tryptases
keywords: Endometrial carcinoma; Mast cell; Spatial distribution; Tumor growth