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Microvessel quantification in primary colorectal carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study
P B Vermeulen1, D Verhoeven, H Fierens
1Laboratory of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
British Journal of Cancer
|February 1, 1995
Summary
This study quantifies blood vessel density in colorectal cancer using CD31 and factor VIII markers. Higher vessel density, especially where basement membranes are absent, may have prognostic value.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Immunohistochemistry
Background:
- Colorectal carcinoma vascularization is crucial for tumor growth and metastasis.
- Assessing tumor angiogenesis aids in understanding cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify microvessel density in human primary colorectal carcinomas.
- To evaluate the sensitivity of CD31 and factor VIII-related antigen as endothelial cell markers.
- To investigate the relationship between basement membrane presence and microvessel density.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical staining of tumor sections using CD31 and factor VIII-related antigen.
- Systematic scanning to identify vascular hotspots at x100 magnification.
- Microvessel counting within hotspots at x250 magnification.
- Comparison of microvessel density in areas with and without collagen IV-positive basement membranes versus normal mucosa.
Main Results:
- CD31 demonstrated higher sensitivity (mean 185 +/- 59 microvessels/mm²) compared to factor VIII-related antigen (120 +/- 38 microvessels/mm²).
- Microvessel counts in hotspots showed significant correlation within individual tumor sections (P < 0.01).
- Tumor areas lacking collagen IV-positive basement membranes exhibited significantly higher microvessel counts (1.7x) than those with membranes and 1.6x higher than normal mucosa.
Conclusions:
- CD31 is a more sensitive marker for quantifying neovascularization in colorectal cancer.
- Microvessel density is significantly higher in areas lacking a basement membrane.
- The low intra-tumor variability and distinct inter-tumor differences support investigating vessel density as a prognostic indicator in colorectal carcinomas.