Abstract | BACKGROUND: METHODS: RESULTS: Although normal mesenchymal tissues showed VEGFR-3 only in the lymphatics, benign and malignant vascular tumors and neovascularization of nonendothelial tumors showed widespread VEGFR-3 distribution. All lymphangiomas and Kaposi sarcomas showed consistent VEGFR-3 reactivity. Among the hemangiomas, spindle cell hemangiomas and 80% of capillary (including all lobular capillary hemangiomas) were positive whereas the endothelium of cavernous, venous, and epitheloid hemangiomas were positive in a minority of cases (20%, 27%, and 33%, respectively). Among the borderline lesions, Kaposiform hemangioendotheliomas were intensely positive whereas epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas were positive in 11 of 29 cases (38%). Angiosarcomas showed VEGRF-3 reactivity in the majority of cases (48 of 60 cases; 80%). The nonepithelioid variants more often were positive (40 of 45 cases; 89%) than the epithelioid variants, of which 8 of 15 (53%) showed positive tumor cells. Nonvascular tumors (including perivascular tumors, other sarcomas, melanomas, carcinomas, and large cell lymphomas) consistently were negative whereas tumor neovascularization commonly was VEGFR-3 positive. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study show that although VEGFR-3 shows specificity toward lymphatics in normal tissues, this receptor is distributed extensively in benign and malignant vascular tumors and therefore can be considered a novel marker in the assessment of endothelial cell differentiation of vascular neoplasms.
|
Authors | T A Partanen, K Alitalo, M Miettinen |
Journal | Cancer
(Cancer)
Vol. 86
Issue 11
Pg. 2406-12
(Dec 01 1999)
ISSN: 0008-543X [Print] United States |
PMID | 10590384
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
|
Copyright | Copyright 1999 American Cancer Society. |
Chemical References |
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Epitopes
- Receptors, Cell Surface
- Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3
|
Topics |
- Biomarkers, Tumor
(analysis)
- Epitopes
- Hemangioma
(diagnosis, pathology)
- Hemangiosarcoma
(diagnosis, pathology)
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Lymphangioma
(diagnosis, pathology)
- Neoplasms, Vascular Tissue
(diagnosis, pathology)
- Neovascularization, Pathologic
(pathology)
- Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
(analysis)
- Receptors, Cell Surface
(analysis)
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Tissue Distribution
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3
|