Jussila L, Valtola R, Partanen T A, Salven P, Heikkilä P, Matikainen M T, Renkonen R, Kaipainen A, Detmar M, Tschachler E, Alitalo R, Alitalo K
Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Cancer Res. 1998 Apr 15;58(8):1599-604.
Lymphatic vessels have been difficult to study in detail in normal and tumor tissues because of the lack of molecular markers. Here, monoclonal antibodies against the extracellular domain of the vascular endothelial growth factor-C receptor that we have named VEGFR-3 were found to specifically stain endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels and vessels around tumors such as lymphoma and in situ breast carcinoma. Interestingly, the spindle cells of several cutaneous nodular AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcomas and the endothelium around the nodules were also VEGFR-3 positive. The first specific molecular marker for the lymphatic endothelium should provide a useful tool for the analysis of lymphatic vessels in malignant tumors and their metastases and the cellular origin and differentiation of Kaposi's sarcomas.
由于缺乏分子标记物，淋巴管在正常组织和肿瘤组织中一直难以进行详细研究。在此，我们发现针对血管内皮生长因子C受体胞外结构域的单克隆抗体（我们将其命名为VEGFR-3）能够特异性地标记淋巴管以及肿瘤（如淋巴瘤和原位乳腺癌）周围血管的内皮细胞。有趣的是，几种皮肤结节性艾滋病相关卡波西肉瘤的梭形细胞以及结节周围的内皮细胞VEGFR-3也呈阳性。首个针对淋巴管内皮细胞的特异性分子标记物应为分析恶性肿瘤及其转移灶中的淋巴管以及卡波西肉瘤的细胞起源和分化提供有用的工具。
