PREOPERATIVE ASSESSMENT OF TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS BY VASCULAR ENDOTHELIALGROWTH-FACTOR MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN HOMOGENATE SAMPLES OF BREAST-CARCINOMA - FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATES VS. RESECTION SAMPLES

Background and Objectives: Tumor angiogenesis is receiving increased a ttention as a prognostic factor and also as a possible target for new anticancer agents. We investigated whether extent of vascular endothel ial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression correlated with degree of neo vascularization, and whether this expression in fine-needle aspirates could be a marker for assessing angiogenic potential of breast tumors Methods: VEGF mRNA expression was semiquantitated by reverse transcrip tase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by Southern blotting. Turner neovascularization was assessed by immunohistochemical stainin g with anti-CD31 (PECAM) antibody. Results: There was a positive corre lation between degree of neovascularization and semiquantitated VEGF m RNA expression in invasive ductal carcinomas (r(2) = 0.346, n = 48, P < 0.05). Extent of VEGF mRNA expression in fine-needle aspirates was c losely correlated with that in resected invasive ductal carcinomas equ al to or less than 3 cm in size (r(2) = 0.874, n = 14, P < 0.05). Conc lusion: These data suggest that semiquantitation of VEGF mRNA expressi on in fine-needle aspirates is useful for assessing angiogenic potenti al of invasive ductal carcinomas. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.