Microvessel density and HIF-1alpha expression correlate with malignant potential in fibrohistiocytic tumors

Angiogenesis is a central process in the growth of solid tumors. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is an oxygen-dependent transcriptional activator, which plays a crucial role in tumor angiogenesis. However, involvement of HIF-1alpha has never been studied in so-called fibrohistiocytic tumors, such as dermatofibroma (DF), dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). We analyzed the extents of angiogenesis in relation to the expression levels of HIF-1alpha in 26 DF, 13 DFSP and 23 MFH cases. MFH showed significantly higher microvessel density (MVD) compared with DF and DFSP. Immunohistochemically, HIF-1alpha-positive cases constituted 31%, 15% and 98% of DF, DFSP and MFH, respectively, indicating significantly higher HIF-1alpha expression in MFH compared with DF and DFSP. Furthermore, MFH cases expressing high levels of HIF-1alpha showed significantly higher MVD than those with low levels of HIF-1alpha. Thus, higher levels of angiogenesis and HIF-1alpha expression are both closely associated with the malignant potential in so-called fibrohistiocytic tumors, and HIF-1alpha is possibly involved in angiogenesis in MFH.