MENINGIOMAS - ROLE OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR VASCULAR-PERMEABILITY FACTOR IN ANGIOGENESIS AND PERITUMORAL EDEMA

OBJECTIVE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/vascular permeabi lity factor (VPF) is a potent angiogenic growth factor implicated in t he tumor angiogenesis/metastasis of a number of human cancers. Activat ion of receptors for VEGF/VPF is specifically mitogenic to endothelial cells and increases their permeability. Although extensive literature exists regarding VEGF/VPF in human astrocytomas, little is known abou t its potential biological role(s) in meningiomas. Our interest in men ingiomas was initiated by the observation that some meningiomas are ex tremely vascular and are occasionally associated with a considerable d egree of peritumoral brain edema, both potentially related to the biol ogical attributes of VEGF/VPF. METHODS: As a first test of this hypoth esis, we examined a cohort of 18 meningiomas for expression of VEGF/VP F at the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels and correlated expression with pathological characteristics, vascularity, and degree of peritumoral edema. RESULTS: The majority of meningiomas expressed V EGF/VPF at both the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels. Cor responding serial sections were stained with an endothelial cell marke r to obtain a microvascular density count, which positively correlated (P = 0.0005) with expression of VEGF/VPF. Furthermore, meningiomas wi th a large amount of peritumoral edema, as determined from the preoper ative computed tomographic scans or magnetic resonance imaging scans, had elevated expression of VEGF/VPF (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that VEGF/VPF may play a role in both meningioma vascularity and peritumoral edema.