Microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor expression (VEGF) in human oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Carcinogenesis is thought to be dependent on neovascularization . Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is glycoprotein that has the ca pability of increasing vascular proliferation and permeability. VEGF has be en found to be expressed in several different types of tumours and it may c ontribute to the progression of malignant tumours. Increased microvessel de nsity (MVD) has been described in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSC) and se ems to be related to patient prognosis. materials and Methods: Fifty-two ca ses of OSCC were evaluated in the present study. Immunostaining for VEGF an d Factor-VIII was per formed. The MVD was evaluated in G1, G2 and G3 tumors . Results: The differences between these 3 groups were statistically signif icant (p=0.0331). MVD was also evaluated in lymph-node negative and lymph-n ode positive cases: the differences between these two groups were statistic ally significant (p<0.001). VEGF expression was evaluated in G1, G2 and G3 tumours. The differences between the 3 groups were not statistically signif icant (p=0.289), even if an increasing trend in the VEGF positivity was evi dent from G1 to G3. The difference of VEGF expression between tumours with and without lymph node metastases was not significant (p=0.196). No correla tion was present between intensity of VEGF positivity and histological grad ing or lymph-node status and between VEGF and MVD. Conclusion: Our data sho wed with MVD was correlated with grading and lymph-node status, while no si milar correlation was found for VEGF.