title: Mast cells positive to tryptase, endothelial cells positive to protease-activated receptor-2, and microvascular density correlate among themselves in hepatocellular carcinoma patients who have undergone surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mast cells (MCs) can stimulate angiogenesis, releasing several proangiogenic cytokines stored in their cytoplasm. In particular MCs can release tryptase, a potent in vivo and in vitro proangiogenic factor via proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) activation and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation. Nevertheless, no data are available concerning the relationship between MC density positive to tryptase (MCDPT), endothelial cells positive to PAR-2 forming microvascular density (PAR-2-MVD), and classical MVD (C-MVD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) angiogenesis. This study analyzed the correlation between MCDPT, PAR-2-MVD, and C-MVD, each correlated to the others and to the main clinicopathological features, in early HCC patients who underwent surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 53 HCC patients with early stage (stage 0 according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging Classification) were selected and then underwent surgery. Tumor tissue samples were evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry and image analysis methods in terms of number of MCDPT, PAR-2-MVD, and C-MVD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant correlation between MCDPT, PAR-2-MVD, and C-MVD groups, each correlated to the others, was found by Pearson t-test analysis (r ranged from 0.67 to 0.81; P-value ranged from 0.01 to 0.03). No other significant correlation was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our in vivo pilot data suggest that MCDPT and PAR-2-MVD may play a role in HCC angiogenesis and could be further evaluated as a target of antiangiogenic therapy.
authors: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, General Surgery Unit, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia" Medical School, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Ammendola
authors: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, General Surgery Unit, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia" Medical School, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Rosario
authors: R
authors: Sacco
authors: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, General Surgery Unit, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia" Medical School, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Sammarco
authors: Department of General, Digestive and Endocrine Surgery, Hopital Robert Debre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France.
authors: Tullio
authors: T
authors: Piardi
authors: Department of Health Science, Pathology Unit, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia" Medical School, Catanzaro.
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Zuccalà
authors: Chair of Pathology, Veterinary Medical School, University "Aldo Moro", Bari.
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Patruno
authors: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, General Surgery Unit, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia" Medical School, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Zullo
authors: Chair of Pathology, Veterinary Medical School, University "Aldo Moro", Bari.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Zizzo
authors: Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, S Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Nardo
authors: Interventional Radiology Unit with Integrated Section of Translational Medical Oncology, National Cancer Research Centre, "Giovanni Paolo II"
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Marech
authors: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Veterinary Medical School, University "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Crovace
authors: Interventional Radiology Unit with Integrated Section of Translational Medical Oncology, National Cancer Research Centre, "Giovanni Paolo II"
authors: Cosmo Damiano
authors: CD
authors: Gadaleta
authors: Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgical Unit, General, Digestive and Endocrine Surgery, IRCAD, IHU Mix-Surg, Institute for Minimally Invasive Image-Guided Surgery, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Pessaux
authors: Interventional Radiology Unit with Integrated Section of Translational Medical Oncology, National Cancer Research Centre, "Giovanni Paolo II"
authors: Girolamo
authors: G
authors: Ranieri
keywords: stromal cells; translational research; tumour angiogenesis