PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - TSUJITANI, SHUNICHI
AU  - SAITO, HIROAKI
AU  - MAETA, YOSHIHIKO
AU  - YAMAGUCHI, KENICHI
AU  - TATEBE, SHIGERU
AU  - KONDO, AKIRA
AU  - KAIBARA, NOBUAKI
TI  - Neoangiogenesis in Patients with Gastric Carcinoma in Relation to the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Thymidine Phosphorylase
DP  - 2004 May 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 1853--1859
VI  - 24
IP  - 3B
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/24/3B/1853.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/24/3B/1853.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2004 May 01; 24
AB  - Background: We investigated the prognostic significance of microvessel density and the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and angiogenesis in patients with gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The expression of VEGF and TP, and the microvessel density were examined by immunohistochemistry in patients with gastric carcinoma invading the serosa. Results: The prognosis of patients with low microvessel density in the cancerous tissue was significantly better than that of patients with high microvessel density. A multivariate analysis showed that microvessel density, lymph node metastasis and tumor size were independent prognostic indicators. VEGF was expressed in tumor cells and TP was expressed in both tumor cells and infiltrating cells. VEGF expression in tumor cells and TP expression in infiltrating cells significantly correlated with microvessel density. However, microvessel density was not correlated with TP expression in tumor cells. Combined analysis based on VEGF expression in tumor cells and TP expression in infiltrating cells revealed that microvessel density was the highest in VEGF-positive and TP-positive tumors and the lowest in VEGF-negative and TP-negative tumors. Microvessel density is an independent prognostic indicator in patients with gastric carcinoma invading the serosa. Conclusion: VEGF expression in tumor cells and TP expression in infiltrating cells may indicate the microvessel density. Copyright© 2004 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved