Studies on angiogenesis intensity in lung cancer in aspect of its correlation with histological type of tumor and clinical stage.

Angiogenesis intensity in lung cancer, in compliance with histological types, tumor differentiation and different clinical stage of disease, was evaluated. The group of 65 patients, 34-73 years old (average 58), who have been operated, were examined. Microvessels were highlighted by immunohistochemical method staining of endothelial cells for factor VIII-von Willebrand. Microvessel and single endothelial cell count per 1 mm2 in each section was determined using light microscope, synchronized with camera and IBM-AT computer (LUCIA-NIKON program for morphometric studies). All cases were divided into three groups depending on angiogenesis intensity: Io-0-200, IIo-201-400, IIIo-400 angiogenic objects/mm2 (microvessels-MV plus endothelial cells-EC). Majority (57%) of examined cases were found in IIo group. The results of studies on angiogenic objects number (MV+EC) per 1 mm2 in different histological type of cancer were following: 248.97 +/- 114.72 in squamous cell, 253.18 +/- 81.32 in adenocarcinoma, 284.04 +/- 114.27 in large cell, 388.02 +/- 117.73 in small cell, 385.27 +/- 210.92 in combined cancer. In each group of lung cancer with different TNM and clinical stages was found that the angiogenic objects number depends on T tumor feature, mainly in EC count analysis (T1-148.61 +/- 113.21, T2-179.38 +/- 100.57, T3-199.52 +/- 137.70, T4-253.18 +/- 108.60). Obtained data were analyzed with of t Student's test. The differences between angiogenic objects number in the groups with different histological type of lung cancer were no statistically significant, although were near threshold value in pairs squamous cell versus small cell (p = 0.0545) and adenocarcinoma versus small cell (p = 0.0611). The differences of EC counts in the same pairs were statistically significant: p = 0.0247 (squamous cell versus small cell) and p = 0.0380 (adenocarcinoma versus small cell). The correlation between angiogenic objects number and grade of tumor differentiation was statistically significant for G1 group versus G2 (p = 0.0380) and G1 versus G4 (p = 0.0008), in comparison to G2 versus G4-p = 0.0688. The remaining results were not statistically significant. Obtained data are no final because the examined groups of cases were not numerous enough. The dependences should be examined in large series of cases.