Assessment of CD105, α-SMA and VEGF expression in gastric carcinomas

In this study, we analyzed the microvessel density (MVD) for CD105+ and α-SMA+ vessels and the VEGF immunoexpression in 38 gastric carcinomas. CD105+ MVD had superior values at the advancing edge compared with the intratumoral area, no matter of the analyzed clinico-pathological parameters, the difference being significant only in intestinal type, moderate differentiated carcinomas as well as in T2-T3 carcinomas, without lymph node metastases (p<0.05). Intratumoral expression of CD105+ MVD indicated significant differences related to histological type (p=0.006), depth of invasion (p=0.027) and lymph node metastases (p=0.009), but without statistical association in case of the advancing edge or metastases. The assesses of α-SMA+ MVD indicated no differences between intratumoral and advancing edge areas, no matter of the analyzed parameters, excepting intestinal type carcinomas, which presented significant high values (p=0.003) at the advancing edge. VEGF score revealed significant differences related to histological type (p=0.020), differentiation degree of the intestinal type carcinomas (p=0.036) and depth of invasion (p=0.049). In case of metastases, the levels of VEGF expression were higher in the primary tumor, without statistically significant differences (p>0.05). It were significant differences of intratumoral VEGF expression depending on CD105+ MVD values (p=0.019), but not with α-SMA+ MVD (p>0.05). Angiogenesis evaluated through the VEGF and MVD (CD105+ and α-SMA+) expression is correlated with the progression and metastasis of gastric cancer and could be considered a prognostic marker of these tumors.