Expression of interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 related to angiogenesis in uterine endometrial cancers

Angiogenesis is essential for the development, growth and advancement of solid tumors. Interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) regulates lymphocyte chemotaxis, mediates vascular pericyte proliferation and acts as an angiostatic agent, thus inhibiting tumor growth. This prompted us to study the clinical implications of IP-10 expression related to angiogenesis in uterine endometrial cancers.

Sixty patients underwent curative resection for uterine endometrial cancers. In the tissue of these cancers, the levels of IP-10, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8 and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were determined by enzyme immunoassay, and the localization of IP-10 and counts of microvessels were determined by immunohistochemistry.

IP-10 is diffusely localized in the cancer cells, but not in the stromal cells. There was a significant, reverse correlation between microvessel counts and IP-10 levels in uterine endometrial cancers. The IP-10 levels significantly decreased with more advanced disease and significantly reverse-correlated with bFGF levels in uterine endometrial cancers.

IP-10 might affect the suppression of angiogenesis associated with bFGF in advanced cancer. Furthermore, IP-10 activation might be effective in the suppression of regrowth or recurrence after intensive treatment for advanced endometrial cancers.