Immunohistochemical study of neoangiogenesis markers in squamous cell lung cancer

Abstract

Aim – to study VEGFR-2 and CD34 immunohistochemical expression in squamous cell lung cancer.Materials and methods. Pathomorphological and immunohistochemical studies of surgical material from 20 patients, which were treated in ZRCOD because of SCLC, were conducted: 10 patients with SCLC without metastases in regional lymph nodes formed the I group of study and 10 patients with SCLC with metastases in regional lymph nodes formed the II group of study. 10 samples of regional lymph nodes with metastases were also examined (the III group of study). Immunohistochemical study was carried out using antibodies against VEGFR-2 and CD34.Results. Squamous cell lung cancer is characterized by high VEGFR-2 expression marks, which are typical for I and II groups of study: 115.23 (97.35; 125.55) CUOD, 60.28 (50.77; 67.19) % and 118.33 (110.03; 140.23) CUOD, 56.56 (44.19; 67.49) %, respectively (P > 0.05). At the same time, there is statistically significant difference between the levels and the relative areas of VEGFR-2 expression in the primary tumor and in the metastases in regional lymphatic nodules (RLN) (the last one distinguished by the lower expression marks – 89.67 (67.25; 100.65) CUOD; 50.99 (41.65; 60.10) %). Tendency to increasing of the number of microvessels in the sequence “non-metastatic squamous cell lung cancer – metastatic squamous cell lung cancer – metastases in RLN” was established: 37.50 (25.00; 54.00) vs 64.50 (42.00; 102.00) vs 95.50 (76.50; 125.00), P ˂ 0.05. Presence of correlations between the following indicators was revealed: the level, the relative area of VEGFR-2 expression and the number of microvessels in non-metastatic squamous cell lung cancer (r = 0.35 and r = -0.34, respectively); the level and the relative area of VEGFR-2 expression (r = -0.45), the relative area of VEGFR-2 expression and the number of microvessels in metastatic squamous cell lung cancer (r = 0.43); the level and the relative area of VEGFR-2 expression in metastases in RLN (r = -0.44).Conclusions. VEGFR-2 expression indices decrease from I to III groups of study, while CD34 expression increases in this sequence, moreover, the expression indices of the studied markers correlate in the primary tumor and do not correlate in regional metastases.