title: Predictive values of vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel-density levels in initial biopsy for prostate cancer.
abstract: Angiogenesis is an important factor in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCA). We aimed to investigate the values of vascular-endothelial-growth-factor (VEGF) expression level and microvessel density (MVD) in the prediction of PCA diagnosis at repeated prostate biopsy (re-PBx). We retrospectively evaluated 167 patients with re-PBx according to elevated prostate-specific antigen levels, suspicious digital rectal examination, and the presence of premalignant lesions. Patients with PCA on re-PBx were included in the cancer group (n = 17). Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or normal tissues on re-PBx were included in the control group (n = 21). The groups were compared according to the expression level of VEGF and MVD in initial prostate biopsy. There was no statistically significant difference between groups according to age and serum prostate-specific-antigen values. The mean VEGF scores of the cancer and control groups were 232.64 ± 11.14 and 183.09 ± 14.56, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean MVD of the biopsy samples in the cancer and control groups were 246.47 ± 17.59 n/mm(2) and 197.33 ± 16.26 n/mm(2), respectively (p < 0.05). The cutoff values of VEGF scores and MVD were set as 200 and 215, respectively, for PCA detection in our study. Our results showed that the expression level of VEGF and MVD significantly increased in the initial prostate-biopsy samples of patients with PCA diagnosed with re-PBx. The evaluation of VEGF expression level and MVD might have an important value in the prediction of PCA at re-PBx. The expression level of VEGF and MVD should be kept in mind as PCA-related histopathological changes that indicate the increased angiogenesis in prostatic tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Enis
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kervancioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara and Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erinanc
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara and Konya, Turkey. Electronic address: drugonulalan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gonulalan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara and Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Ibrahim
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Oguzulgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra Zeynep
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara and Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozkardes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Microvessel density; Prostate cancer; Repeated prostate biopsy; Vascular endothelial growth factor