Significance of intratumoral microvessel density quantification based on immunohistochemical detection of PECAM-1 and vWF in colorectal carcinoma from Iraqi patients

<b>Context:</b> Counting of newly formed microvessel may prove to be a useful tool in the early detection of metastatic potential and selection of patients for whom antiangiogenesis drugs might be beneficial. <b>Aims:</b> We designed this study to assess the significance of m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ahmed Mohanad, Mohammed Suhad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-07-01
Series:Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ijpmonline.org/article.asp?issn=0377-4929;year=2010;volume=53;issue=3;spage=439;epage=446;aulast=Ahmed
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Summary:<b>Context:</b> Counting of newly formed microvessel may prove to be a useful tool in the early detection of metastatic potential and selection of patients for whom antiangiogenesis drugs might be beneficial. <b>Aims:</b> We designed this study to assess the significance of microvessel quantification in colorectal cancer with respect to different clinicopathological variables. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Forty archived paraffin-embedded colorectal adenocarcinoma samples and their resection margins were enrolled in our study. Thin paraffin-embedded sections (3-5 &#901;m thick) of both tumor and resection margins were prepared for each respective biopsy and were used to detect endothelial cell (EC) surface expression of PECAM-1 and vWF by immunohistochemistry technique. <b>Statistical Analysis:</b> For the comparison between tumor and resection margin regarding the investigated parameters, the <i>t</i>-test of significance was conducted. The association between surface expression of PECAM-1 and vWF along with tumor differentiation, depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis was performed by Chi-square (&#967;<sup>2</sup> ) and ANOVA test as well as 95&#x0025; confidence interval. On the other hand, the association between the investigated parameters and tumor stage as well as tumor size was performed by student <i>t</i>-test. The correlations between the two investigated parameters in respect to various clinicopathological parameters were calculated by correlation coefficient <i>(r)</i>. Statistical significance was defined as <i>P</i> &lt; 0.05. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS statistical package for social and medical science version 15.0. <b>Results:</b> Based on the current outcome, there were significant differences in microvessel density based on PECAM-1 or vWF immunostaining when each tumor sample was compared to its respective resection margin (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001 and <i>P</i> &lt; 0.001, respectively). In addition, tumors &#8805;3 mm <sup>3</sup> in size demonstrated a significant increase in their microvessel density compared to their counterparts whether PECAM-1 or vWF immunostaining was applied (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001 and <i>P</i> &lt; 0.001, respectively). Moreover, when tumor samples were analyzed based on their depth of invasion, for intratumoral microvessel count, exclusively, vWF immunostaining analysis demonstrated significant differences among the three groups: submucosa into muscularis propria (SMP), tumor reaches serosa (SE) and tumors invade other organs (OR), since the latter came up with the highest microvessel count (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). When tumor lymph node metastases were questioned, exclusively, vWF immunostaining were significantly differentiated among N0, N1 and N2 groups (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Concerning the possible correlations between the two investigated parameters in respect to various histopathological variables, both PECAM-1 and vWF immunostaining demonstrated significant positive correlations in tumor samples (<i>r</i> = 0.37), whereas in resection margins, these correlations were absent. Although, PECAM-1 and vWF immunostaining revealed significant and positive correlations within tumor differentiation (WD: <i>r</i> = 0.56, MD: <i>r</i> = 0.57 and PD: <i>r</i> = 0.89) as well as with tumor stage (A-B: <i>r</i> = 0.39 and C-D: r = 0.31), still, they seem to correlate significantly and exclusively within SE group (<i>r</i> = 0.74), tumors &lt;3 mm <sup>3</sup> in size (<i>r</i> = 0.66), N0 (<i>r</i> = 0.36) and N1 (<i>r</i> = 0.85) groups. However, PECAM-1 and vWF immunostaining revealed significant but negative correlation exclusively within N2 group (<i>r</i> = -0.38). <b>Conclusion:</b> In conclusion, microvessel count could be useful as a predictor for tumor metastases in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. Possible interpretations of the current outcome are explained thoroughly in the text.
ISSN:0377-4929
0974-5130