Comparison of microvascularization in diagnostic needle biopsies and radical prostatectomies in prostate carcinoma

Quantitation of microvessel density has been shown to predict tumor aggressiveness in prostate carcinoma (Pca). The correlation of estimated values of angiogenesis in needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy materials might show the efficiency of the diagnostic biopsy material to represent a good sample of the entire tumor. In this study, we assessed the correlation of microvascularization computed by morphometric methods in biopsy and radical operation materials.

Sections from diagnostic biopsy and radical prostatectomy materials of 23 patients with Pca were stained with factor- 8-associated antigen by immunohistochemistry and vascular surface density (VSD), microvessel numbers (NVES) and maximum microvessel number (NVES-MAX) were assessed by stereological methods. The microvascularization values in biopsy and radical operation materials were compared by Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for paired samples.

No significant difference was observed between VSD and NVES values that were obtained from biopsy and radical operation materials of the same cases (p = 0.2478 and 0.3458, respectively). However, a significant difference was noted for NVES- MAX (p = 0.0004).

We have shown, in a limited number of cases, that microvascularity prediction by stereological analysis using VSD and NVES in diagnostic needle biopsies correlates well with the radical operation specimens. Preoperative biopsies may predict overall tumor neovascularization characteristics that may have an impact on pathological stage and behavior.