VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR MESSENGER-RIBONUCLEIC-ACID EXPRESSION IN HUMAN OVARIAN AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a previously discovered a ngiogenic factor that seems to influence the neoangiogenesis of neopla stic and non-neoplastic tissues. Substantial experimental evidence lin ks tumor growth and metastasis with blood vessel formation. Tumor angi ogenesis can be induced by factors released by the tumor cells themsel ves. A variety of transformed cell lines expresses the VEGF transcript and secretes an EGF-like protein, suggesting that this angiogenic fac tor may be one of the mediators of tumor angiogenesis. By Northern blo t analysis and in situ hybridization, we investigated the expression o f VEGF transcript in human ovarian and endometrial neoplasms. Messenge r RNA encoding VEGF was detected in all tissues studied and was more d ensely expressed in endometrial carcinoma. VEGF expression was also id entified in cells obtained from ovarian and endometrial ascitic plain VEGF mRNA, detected by in situ hybridization, was identified in the ep ithelial cells of endometrial adenocarcinoma. This distribution was lo calized primarily in the al,ices of the papillae. The prominence of VE GF mRNA levels in human ovarian and endometrial tumors demonstrates th at VEGF may be involved in promoting turner angiogenesis and stroma ge neration, acting as an endothelial cell mitogen.