Vascular endothelial growth factor expression and angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma

Kim, Sang Hyun; Kim, Tae Oh; Kim, Yang Jung; Lee, Chang Hoon; Ryu, Soo Hyung; Lee, Seong Hwun; Lee, Jun Hong; Kang, Dae Hwan; Song, Geun Am; Cho, Mong; Yang, Ung Suk

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Many studies have shown that angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and progression of solid tumors, including gastric carcinoma. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) is the most potent known inducer of microvascular hyperpermeability; in addition, it is a selective mitogen for endothelial cells. In this study, we studied that the relationship between angiogenesis and the expression of VEGF in gastric carcinoma.
METHODS
23 early gastric carcinomas and 28 advanced gastric carcinomas obtained by surgical resection were studied. Expression of the VEGF was semiquantitatively analyzed in paraffin sections by immunohistochemical method. Histologic sections immunostained for CD31 antigen were evaluated for microvessel density.
RESULTS
The VEGF was mainly localized to the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. Expression of the VEGF was significantly higher in advanced gastric carcinoma than in early gastric carcinoma (p< 0.05). Expression of the VEGF was correlated with the tumor depth and the stage(p< 0.05). The VEGF positivity was significantly higher in moderately and poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma than in well differentiated gastric carcinoma(p< 0.05). But the expression of the VEGF by Lauren,s classification was not significant between intestinal type and diffuse type(p> 0.05). The expression of CD31 was higher in advanced gastric carcinoma than in early gastric carcinoma. In gastric carcinoma, a correlation was observed between CD31 expression and the stage of the disease, the degree of histological differentiation. Also VEGF and CD 31 expression was observed significant correlation.
CONCLUSION
VEGF is an important angiogenic factor associated with progression of the gastric carcinoma. Neovascularization assessment by CD 31 immunostaining was another efficient method for defining groups of tumors with aggressive clinical course.