Publication: Lymphatic and blood vessel morphometry in invasive breast carcinomas: Relation with proliferation and VEGF-C and -D proteins expression
Loading...
Date
2007
Authors
Mylona, E. ; Nomikos, A. ; Alexandrou, P. ; Giannopoulou, I. ; Keramopoulos, A. ; Nakopoulou, Lydia
item.page.secondaryauthor
item.page.director
Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
publication.page.editor
publication.page.department
DOI
item.page.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of the present study
was to investigate the distribution of both lymphatics
and blood microvessels in invasive breast carcinomas
and the clinicopathological and prognostic significance
of their density and size related parameters as well as
their correlation with the proliferative potential of the
tumor and VEGF-C and -D expression. Methods: Both
single and double immunohistochemistry were applied
on a series of 146 paraffin-embedded breast tissue
specimens to detect VEGF-C and -D as well as
lymphatics and blood microvessels, respectively.
Computer-assisted morphometry was performed to
evaluate the blood and lymphatic vessel density (BVD
and LVD respectively) as well as various vascular size
related parameters. Results: Lymphatics were detected
within the stroma at the tumor border, while blood
vessels were located in both the interior of the tumor
mass and peritumor stroma. BV major axis, minor axis
and perimeter inversely correlated with ER (p=0.011,
p=0.023 and p=0.008 respectively), while LV major axis,
minor axis and the perimeter inversely correlated with
tumor nuclear grade (p=0.045, p=0.037 and p=0.032
respectively) and topoisomerase IIa (p=0.015, p=0.024
and p=0.045 respectively). The same LV parameters
were found to positively correlate with cancerous VEGF-C (p<0.0001, p=0.092 and p=0.012 respectively)
and VEGF-D in the stromal fibroblasts surrounding
neoplastic cells (p=0.011, p=0.041 and p=0.026
respectively). High BVD exerted an unfavorable impact
on both disease-free (p=0.021) and overall survival
(p=0.031) of the patients. High LVD correlated with
poor disease-free and overall survival only in the
subgroup of patients with ER-negative tumors (p=0.056
and p=0.0312 respectively). Conclusion: These findings, for the first time, correlate lymphatic size with tumors of
limited proliferative potential and higher nuclear
differentiation. Moreover, they suggest that VEGF-C and
-D expression influence lymphatic size rather than being
involved in the increase of lymphatic vessel number.
publication.page.subject
Citation
item.page.embargo
Ir a Estadísticas
Sin licencia Creative Commons.