Immunohistochemical study on VEGF expression in endometrial carcinoma - comparison with p53 expression, angiogenesis, and tumor histologic grade

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) - that activates endot helial cell growth - has been considered to induce angiogenesis, which is i ndispensable to tumor-genesis and progression. In this study, an immunohist ochemical analysis was carried out to clarify the correlation of VEGF expre ssion with angiogenesis, p53 expression - of which the wild-type is conside red to suppress VEGF expression - and histologic grade in endometrial carci noma. Study design: Immunohistochemical staining for detecting VEGF protein , factor VIII-related antigen of endothelial cells, and p53 protein was per formed by the labeled streptavidin-biotin method on the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissue of 104 patients with endometrial (endometrio id) carcinoma, including 69 with well-differentiated, 25 with moderately di fferentiated, and ten with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Results: T he labeling index of p53 expression was 19.9 +/- 28.8% in the high VEGF gro up, whereas in the low VEGF group it was 12.2 +/- 17.0%, showing that VEGF expression was significantly correlated with p53 expression (P < 0.05). VEG F expression, however, was not correlated with either the number of microve ssels in the tumor area or tumor histologic grade. Conclusion: VEGF express ion was not a single specific indicator of angiogenesis in endometrial carc inoma, whereas it was significantly correlated with p53 expression.