Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the relationship between expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome ten (PTEN), angiogenesis and clinicopathological parameters of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.MethodsWe examined immunohistochemical expression of VEGF and PTEN and CD34 for microvessel density (MVD) in sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks of 140 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. The intensity of VEGF and PTEN staining and the proportion of cells staining were scored.ResultsThe tumor grade was not significantly related to PTEN expression, but it was to VEGF expression (p = 0.400; p = 0.015, respectively). While there was no significant relationship between PTEN expression and tumor size and cartilage invasion (p = 0.311, p = 0.128), there was a significant relationship between the severity of VEGF expression and tumor size (p = 0.006) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.048) but not cartilage invasion (p = 0.129). MVD was significantly higher in high-grade tumors (p = 0.003) but had no significant relationship between MVD, lymph node metastasis, and cartilage invasion (p = 0.815, p = 0.204). There was also no significant relationship between PTEN and VEGF expression (p = 0.161) and between PTEN and VEGF expression and the MVD (p = 0.120 and p = 0.175, respectively).ConclusionsIncreased VEGF expression may play an important role in the outcome of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. PTEN expression was not related to VEGF expression and clinicopathological features of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
Highlights
Tumor development is a multi-stage process, angiogenesis is essential to tumor growth and metastasis
The tumor grade was not significantly related to PTEN expression, but it was significantly related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression (p = 0.400; p = 0.015, respectively) (Table 1, Figure 1 and 2)
*p: grade 1 vs 3 = 0.007; grade 2 vs 3 = 0.04; MVD, microvessel density; PTEN, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome ten; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; While there was no significant relationship between PTEN expression and tumor size and cartilage invasion (p = 0.311 p = 0.128), there was a significant relationship between PTEN expression and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.024, chi-square = 7.479)
Summary
Tumor development is a multi-stage process, angiogenesis is essential to tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenesis is regulated by the balance between positive and negative regulatory molecules released by tumor cells and other cells in the environment. The most important molecules positively affecting angiogenesis are basic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8 platelet-derived growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor. The results of studies on VEGF expression and tumor angiogenesis and the relationship between the clinicopathological factors and prognosis in head and neck tumors, in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, are controversial [7,8]. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome ten (PTEN), angiogenesis and clinicopathological parameters of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
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