Assessment of endothelial cell proliferation in primary breast carcinoma and its association with axillary lymph node status

The correlation between angiogenesis as assessed by endothelial cell prolif eration in blood/lymphatic vessels in primary breast carcinomas, and axilla ry lymph-node metastasis was studied using a case-control design. Primary b reast carcinomas, < 2 cm in diameter, from 26 axillary node positive patien ts (case), were compared with neoplasms from 45 node-negative patients (con trol). Vascularity, as assessed by vessel density, and endothelial eel prol iferation were measured in a single tissue section using a double immunohis tochemical staining technique using MIBI (Ki-67) and FVIII antibodies. No a ssociation between vascularity and node status was found (P > 0.70). Node p ositive breast carcinomas had, on average, significantly smaller proliferat ing vessels (140+/-7 mu m in perimeter) in the primary lesion when compared with node negative tumours (164+/-7 mu m) in perimeter (P<0.02). In additi on, the frequency of relatively small vessels (less than 180 mu m in perime ter) with proliferating endothelium was higher in node positive carcinomas than lymph-node negative neoplasms (P<0.03). This association between node status and the size and frequency of blood/lymphatic vessels with prolifera ting endothelium in primary carcinoma may have important implications in me tastasis. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.