Abstract #135: Expression analyses of vasohibin as a novel angiogenesis inhibitor in cervical cancer

[Object] Vasohibin is a novel endothelium-derived VEGF-inducible angiogenesis inhibitor, which was found by one of the authors. However, the significance of endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors in normal and malignant cervical tissues had not been elucidated well. Thus, the aim of the present study is to clarify the critical roles of vasohibin in the cervical tissue, especially on cervical carcinomas and the relationship between vasohibin and VEGF receptor-2, microvessel density (MVD), lymphovessel density (LVD), VEGF expression ratio on the carcinoma cells. [Materials and Methods] Seventy-eight cases of cervical carcinoma were evaluated for the immunohistochemical analysis. There were 61 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 18 mucinous adenocarcinoma(Adenocarcinoma). We investigated the expression of vasohibin, and compared it to VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR1: flt-1), VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2: KDR/flk-1), CD34 (as a marker for vascular endothelial cells) in the stromal vascular endotherium. VEGF was for carcinoma cells. CD34 was as a marker for vascular endothelial cells to investigate MVD. D2-40 was as a marker for lymphatic endothelial cells to investigate LVD. Immunohistochemical assessment was classified as negative or positive based on staining intensity. [Result] Microvessel density of Adenocarcinoma were significantly higher than that of SCC ( P 0.05). For SCC there was a significant correlation between the expression percentage of vasohibin and that of VEGFR-2 ( P 0.05, r 2 = 0.34151).This is the first study to elucidate the correlation between expression of vasohibin in the stromal endothelial cells and that of VEGFR-2 in human cervical carcinomas. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 135.