ASSESSMENT OF ANGIOGENESIS IN HUMAN CERVICAL LESIONS

Angiogenesis has been extensively studied in several types of invasive carcinomas and has been correlated with tumor growth and metastasis. In some of these studies it has been shown that angiogenesis preceeds neoplastic transformation. A correlation is evident between microvesse l density and conditions that exist much before the onset of tumor for mation (i.e. dysplastic lesions). In this study, tumor vascularity was quantified in a series of cervical lesions : 92 dysplasias (31 mild, 24 moderate and 36 severe) and 11 infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma s. Microvessels were visualized by a polyclonal antibody against facto r VIII-related antigen (DAKO), using a streptavidin - peroxidase immun ohistochemical method. Vessel density was quantified in 3 high power f ields (hpf) of the most vascular areas, by two independent observers. Mean vascular counts were 13 +/- 5 vessels per unit area in CIN I lesi ons, 17 +/- 4 in CIN II, 20 +/- 6 vessels in CIN III and 17 +/- 5 in i nfiltrating carcinomas. There was a progressive increase of vascularit y in the dysplastic lesion in the samples with increasing atypia in re lation to controls. No significant differences were noted between seve re servical dysplasias and infiltrating carcinomas. Our findings sugge st that angiogenesis may be an important event in tumor initiation and the conversion of the normal epithelium into cancer.