Relationship between vascular invasion and microvessel density and micrometastasis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Vascular invasion is a critical prognostic factor in various cancers.
• Accurate detection of vascular invasion is essential for treatment planning and predicting patient outcomes.
• Microvessel density (MVD) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are potential indicators of tumor aggressiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between vascular invasion, tissue microvessel density (MVD), and the presence of micrometastasis in blood.
• To compare the efficacy of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining versus immunohistochemical staining for detecting vascular invasion.
• To assess the utility of cytokeratin 20 (CK20) expression as a marker for micrometastasis in patients with and without vascular invasion.

Main Methods:

• Vascular invasion was assessed using both H&E and immunohistochemical staining.
• Blood samples were analyzed for CK20 expression via reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
• Tissue MVD was quantified using immunohistochemistry with CD105 antibodies.

Main Results:

• CK20 expression was detected in 70.6% of patients with vascular invasion versus 30.0% without (P < 0.05).
• Patients with vascular invasion exhibited significantly higher MVD (29.2 ± 3.3) compared to those without (25.4 ± 4.7) (P < 0.05).
• Immunohistochemical staining identified vascular invasion more frequently (36.9%) than H&E staining (19.6%) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Positive CK20 RT-PCR, increased MVD, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node status, and metastasis are significantly associated with vascular invasion.
• Immunohistochemical staining demonstrates higher sensitivity than H&E staining for detecting vascular invasion.
• CK20 expression in blood serves as a potential indicator of micrometastasis in patients with vascular invasion.