SIGNIFICANCE OF VESSEL COUNT AND VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR IN HUMAN ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMAS

The purpose of this study was to determine the angiogenic profile of h uman esophageal carcinomas. The expression of vascular endothelial gro wth factor (VEGF) was examined in 6 esophageal carcinoma cell lines an d 119 human esophageal carcinoma tissues by Northern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Immunohistochemistry using antibo dies against CD34 (endothelial cell specific) was carried out on archi val specimens, and microvessels were quantitated by counting vessels i n a x200 field in the most vascular area of the tumor. All of the cell lines constitutively expressed VEGF mRNA at various levels. A total o f 71 of 119 (59.7%) tumors showed intense VEGF immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Vessel count was significantly higher in t he VEGF-positive tumors than it was in the VEGF-negative tumors. VEGF expression correlated with the depth of tumor invasion, tumor stage, v enous invasion, and lymphatic invasion. The survival rate of patients with high vessel density in the tumor was significantly worse than tha t of patients with low vessel density in the tumor. There was a tenden cy far poorer prognosis in the group with VEGF-positive tumors compare d with that of the group with VEGF-negative tumors. Overall, these res ults suggest that VEGF is associated with tumor progression by stimula ting angiogenesis in human esophageal carcinoma.