Low differentiated microvascular density and low expression of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) predict...

To examine the prognostic significance of the expression of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and differentiated microvascular density (MVD) in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

We used the vascular marker cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34) to identify tumour blood vessels. The expression of PDGF-BB and CD34 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tissue microarrays (TMAs) from 100 ccRCCs. Prognostic effects of individual parameters were calculated using Cox regression models and Harrell's concordance index (c-index).

Higher grade and more advanced stage ccRCCs had significantly less PDGF-BB expression and differentiated MVD (P < 0.05). Higher PDGF-BB expression was an independent prognostic factor for longer survival, and moreover, the final model built by the addition of PDGF-BB expression improved the predictive accuracy for disease-free survival (c-index 0.707) compared with the clinicopathological-based model (c-index 0.695). PDGF-BB expression was positively associated with differentiated MVD assessed by Spearman correlation and factor analysis (r = 0.634, P < 0.001).

PDGF-BB is as a novel and promising prognostic marker and antiangiogenic therapeutic target for the treatment of ccRCC.