COEXPRESSION OF VEGF AND BFGF IN HUMAN EPIDERMOID LUNG-CARCINOMA IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED VESSEL DENSITY

Tumor specimens from 84 patients with untreated epidermoid lung carcin omas were analysed immunohistochemically for the expression of vascula r endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bF GF), tumor cell proliferation (PCNA index) and tumor vascularity (vess el density). The purpose of this study was to find out whether differe nces in tumor cell proliferation and tumor vascularity might be associ ated with differential angiogenic growth factor expression. The presen t results indicate that the proliferation of the tumors is closely rel ated to their expression of VEGF, but not for bFGF. The PCNA labelling index in VEGF positive tumors (VEGF+/bFGF- or VEGF+/bFGF+) was signif icantly higher than that in VEGF negative tumors (VEGF-/bFGF- or VEGF/ bFGF+; Wilcoxon rank sum test, p<0.0001). To investigate whether VEGF or bFGF is involved in lung tumor angiogenesis, the data of VEGF and b FGF expression were correlated with vessel density. It was found that the expression of VEGF and bFGF were associated with increment of vess el density, however, vessel density was significantly increased only w hen VEGF and bFGF were coexpressed (p<0.02). It Is suggested that VEGF and bFGF might act cooperatively in the neovascularization of human e pidermoid lung carcinomas.