Tumor angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and tumor metastasis, and
it depends on angiogenic factors produced by tumor cells and/or infiltratin
g cells in tumor tissue. In this study, we evaluated the clinical significa
nce of the expression of angiogenin, which is a potent angiogenic protein,
and the relationship between its mRNA expression and focal macrophage infil
tration in colorectal cancer. Furthermore, we investigated the induction of
angiogenin mRNA expression by proinflammatory cytokines mainly produced by
inflammatory cells in tumor tissues. When we examined the relationship bet
ween the mRNA expression of angiogenin, by semiquantitative reverse transcr
iption-PCR, and clinicopathological features in 65 patients with colorectal
cancer, there was a significant difference in the vascular involvement, ly
mph node metastasis, liver metastasis, and advanced stage in patients with
high-expression of angiogenin compared with low expression (P < 0.05). With
regard to prognosis, the survival time for subjects in the high angiogenin
mRNA group (tumor:normal ratio >1.9) was significantly worse (P < 0.05). W
hen we examined the localization of angiogenin in colorectal cancer, immuno
histochemical analysis in 65 patients with colorectal cancer revealed that
angiogenin was predominantly expressed in cancer cells compared with stroma
l cells or normal tissues. The intensity of staining of angiogenin was sign
ificantly correlated with microvessel counts and focal macrophage infiltrat
ion counts (P < 0.05). In an in vitro study, interleukin-lp and tumor necro
sis factor-or induced angiogenin mRNA expression in colon cancer cells in a
dose- and time-dependent manner, and these cytokines significantly up-regu
lated the expression of angiogenin mRNA, especially in colon cancer cells r
ather than in other cells in the stroma of tumor tissues (fibroblasts, tumo
r infiltrating lymphocytes, macrophages). These results suggest that tumor
angiogenesis in colorectal cancer may be advanced, at least in part, by ang
iogenin induced by proinflammatory cytokines derived from infiltrating macr
ophages.