Thrombospondin-1 and-2 messenger RNA expression in invasive cervical cancer: Correlation with angiogenesis and prognosis

Purpose: TSP association with clinicopathological features, including micro vessel count, regarding prognostic significance was examined in patients pr esenting with invasive cervical cancer. Experimental Design: Gene expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 was assessed by rev erse transcription-PCR in 10 normal cervix and 78 invasive cervical cancer samples. Results: TSP-1 and TSP-2 mRNA expression was detected in seven (70.0%) of t he normal cervical specimens. TSP-2 mRNA expression in normal cervix was si gnificantly higher than that in cases involving cervical cancer (P = 0.032) . TSP-1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in tumors characterized by advanced stage (P = 0.047). Fifty-three patients displaying stage Ib-IIb ce rvical cancer underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Ex pression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 mRNA was significantly lower in tumors exhibiti ng parametrial invasion (P = 0.016 and P = 0.049, respectively). Microvesse l counts were significantly higher when decreased TSP-1 expression was evid ent (P = 0.029). The microvessel count in patients lacking TSP-2 mRNA expre ssion was higher than that observed in patients displaying TSP-2 mRNA expre ssion, although it was not statistically significant (P = 0.062). Subjects demonstrating TSP-1 mRNA expression exhibited significantly better prognosi s than those lacking TSP-1 mRNA expression (P = 0.0038). Furthermore, TSP-1 mRNA expression was an independent prognostic factor in the multivariate a nalysis. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that TSP-1 expression is of va lue as a prognostic factor in cervical cancer. The inverse correlation betw een TSP expression and microvessel count also indicates that decreased TSP expression may be associated with an angiogenic phenotype in this class of neoplasm.