Prognostic Significance and Primary-Metastatic Differences in VASH1 Expression, CD34-Defined Microvessel Density, and...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Biology
• Angiogenesis Research

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis is influenced by tumor angiogenesis.
• Vasohibin-1 (VASH1), CD34-defined microvessel density (MVD), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are key angiogenesis markers.
• Understanding their prognostic role and differences between primary and metastatic CRC is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic significance of VASH1, CD34-MVD, and VEGF in CRC.
• To compare these markers between primary and metastatic CRC lesions.
• To identify independent predictors of overall survival (OS) in CRC patients.

Main Methods:

• Tissue microarrays were used to quantify VASH1, VEGF, and CD34-MVD in 144 CRC patients.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined optimal cut-off values for OS.
• Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, Spearman's, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were employed for survival and correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• High VASH1, CD34-MVD, and VEGF expression correlated with significantly shorter OS (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.007, respectively).
• Metastatic lesions exhibited significantly lower VASH1, VEGF, and CD34-MVD compared to primary tumors (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively).
• High VASH1 (HR: 2.05, p = 0.048) and high CD34-MVD (HR: 2.12, p = 0.015) were independent predictors of poor OS.

Conclusions:

• VASH1 expression and CD34-defined MVD are independent adverse prognostic factors for OS in CRC.
• Decreased angiogenesis markers in metastatic lesions suggest tumor angiogenesis heterogeneity.
• External validation is necessary before clinical application of these findings.