Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in renal cell carcinoma and the relation to angiogenesis and p53 protein expression

Background and Objectives: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seems to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis. The tumor-suppressor gene p53 has been thought to regulate VEGF expression. We investigated the effec t of VEGF expression on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the correlation betw een the expression of VEGF and tumor angiogenesis and p53 protein expressio n. Methods: Sixty-two RCCs were examined by immunohistochemical studies with a nti-VEGF anti-p53, and anti-CD34 antibodies. Results: Forty tumors (80.6%) were classified as VEGF positive, and 28 tumo rs (45.2%) were positive for p53 protein. The microvessel density was 75.3 +/- 33.5. A significant correlation was found between VEGF expression and b oth the nuclear grade (P < 0.05) and the TNM: stage (P < 0.05). The tumors with VEGF expression had a significantly higher microvessel density than th ose without VEGF expression (P <less than> 0.01). There was no statisticall y significant correlation between p53 protein and VEGF expression. No stati stically significant differences in survival were found to be associated wi th microvessel density, VEGF expression or p53 protein expression. By using multivariate survival analyses, nuclear grade (P < 0.05) and TNM stage (P < 0.05) were the only independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Our data do not show a direct regulation of VEGF expression by p53. We suggest that VEGF expression plays a role in the promotion of angi ogenesis in RCC. <(c)> 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.