Ultrastructural interactions in the microvasculature of human endometrial adenocarcinoma

Objectives. Our purpose was to study the ultrastructural morphology of the microvasculature of human endometrial adenocarcinoma and to determine the e ffect of this malignancy on cell-to-cell communication between the componen ts of the microvasculature and with the other tissue compartments of human endometrium. Methods. Multiple cases of human endometrial adenocarcinoma were studied an d graded by light microscopy. Six cases of Grade I and six cases of Grade I I were selected. Two blocks per case were studied ultrastructurally, Results, In contrast to our expectation that the ultrastructure of tumor ve ssels would suggest a great deal of proliferation and new vessel formation, we found that tumor vessels displayed a high degree of cellular differenti ation, in the form of numerous and varied cell-to-cell contacts, and large amounts of protein production, Conclusions. The morphology of the microvasculature of endometrial adenocar cinoma suggests an active rather than passive role in tumor vessels. (C) 19 99 Academic Press.