Koide N, Nishio A, Kono T, Yazawa K, Igarashi J, Watanabe H, Nimura Y, Hanazaki K, Adachi W, Amano J
Second Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Hepatogastroenterology. 1999 Mar-Apr;46(26):952-8.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to clarify the significance of VEGF expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Tissues samples were taken from 52 patients with esophageal SCC after surgery. VEGF expression in these SCCs was examined immunohistochemically. Microvessels in the tumor stained for Factor VIII-related antigen were counted. Ki-67 antigen as a proliferative marker was immunostained with MIB-1, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labeling was performed for the evaluation of apoptosis. Ki-67 labeling index (LI) and apoptotic index were then calculated.
VEGF expression was observed in 30 of the patients (57.7%). The microvessel count was significantly higher (p = 0.007), and the apoptotic index was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in the SCC with VEGF expression than in the SCC without it, but no significant difference was observed in the Ki-67 LI between these groups. There was an inverse correlation between the microvessel count and the apoptotic index (p = 0.007). In the clinicopathologic factors, histologic venous invasion of cancer cells (p = 0.039) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.049) were significantly correlated with VEGF expression. The survival rate after curative surgery was better in the patients without VEGF expression (p < 0.05), and distant organ metastasis after surgery was frequently observed in the patients with VEGF expression (p = 0.023).
These results suggest that VEGF expression is associated with angiogenesis in esophageal SCC, and may be a prognostic factor in patients with esophageal SCC. Furthermore, apoptosis may be influenced by angiogenesis in esophageal SCC.
背景/目的：血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在肿瘤血管生成中起关键作用。本研究旨在阐明VEGF表达在食管鳞状细胞癌（SCC）中的意义。
对52例食管SCC患者术后的组织样本进行取材。采用免疫组织化学方法检测这些SCC中VEGF的表达。对肿瘤中VIII因子相关抗原染色的微血管进行计数。用MIB-1对增殖标志物Ki-67抗原进行免疫染色，并进行末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导的脱氧尿苷三磷酸生物素缺口末端标记以评估细胞凋亡。然后计算Ki-67标记指数（LI）和凋亡指数。
30例患者（57.7%）观察到VEGF表达。VEGF表达阳性的SCC微血管计数显著更高（p = 0.007），凋亡指数显著更低（p < 0.0001），但两组间Ki-67 LI无显著差异。微血管计数与凋亡指数呈负相关（p = 0.007）。在临床病理因素中，癌细胞的组织学静脉侵犯（p = 0.039）和淋巴结转移（p = 0.049）与VEGF表达显著相关。VEGF表达阴性患者根治性手术后的生存率更高（p < 0.05），VEGF表达阳性患者术后远处器官转移更为常见（p = 0.023）。
这些结果表明VEGF表达与食管SCC的血管生成相关，可能是食管SCC患者的一个预后因素。此外，食管SCC中的细胞凋亡可能受血管生成影响。
