Prognostic importance of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in the uterine sarcoma

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors play an important role in tumor progression; however, there is no report regarding this factor in uterine sarcoma. Thirty-nine patients with uterine sarcoma, 14 carcinosarcomas, 4 endometrial stromal sarcomas, and 21 leiomyosarcomas, were studied. By immunohistochemical staining, VEGF was not detected in normal uterine smooth muscle, but VEGF receptor-1 (flt-1) and VEGF receptor-2 (flk-1) were observed in 14 and 4 of 14 normal smooth muscles, respectively. Of 39 sarcomas, 25 expressed VEGF, and 38 and 34 sarcomas expressed flt-1 and flk-1 at various intensities, respectively. The staining intensity of VEGF, flt-1, and flk-1 was significantly higher in sarcoma than in normal uterine smooth muscle, but that of phospho-flt-1 (p-flt-1) was significantly lower in sarcoma than in normal uterine smooth muscle. When sarcomas were divided into two groups according to staining intensity, a significant difference in survival curves was observed in only p-flt-1 of leiomyosarcoma (P = 0.008), and in all sarcomas, a lower survival curve was also observed in the high staining intensity group than in the low staining intensity group, although there was no significant difference (P = 0.102). In conclusion, VEGF and its receptors are suggested to be involved in progression of uterine sarcoma, but only the p-flt-1 level significantly affected the survival of leiomyosarcoma patients.

Vascular endothelial growth factor stimulates embryonic urinary bladder development in organ culture

“…VEGFR1 was also detected in embryonic urothelia and it was prominently expressed in the E18 detrusor. The concept that SM cells express VEGFR is not new, because uterine SM cells express VEGFR1 [13], and vascular and airway SM cells express VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 [14]. Our observation that embryonic urothelia express VEGFR1 is paralleled by reports that other epithelia, including metanephric tubules [15] and alveoli [14], express this receptor.…”

“…VEGF is expressed by uterine SM [13], vascular SM cells [16], and by DSM isolated from fetal and adult bladders [17,18]. Our finding that VEGF is immunolocalized in embryonic bladders to urothelium and DSM suggests that both make VEGF, although proof of these contentions will require RNA detection by in situ hybridization.…”

Candidate Biomarkers for Specific Intraoperative Near-Infrared Imaging of Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Systematic Review

“…VEGFR-1 presence was found in an average of 76% (range 22–100%, n = 477) of the STS patients in 8 different studies [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Staining was performed in 15 STS subtypes ( Appendix C ).…”

“…Expression was found in the cytoplasm, and on the nuclear and cell membrane [ 32 , 35 ]. VEGFR-2 expression was present in 71% (range 11–100%, n = 449) on average in 9 different studies, and 16 STS subtypes were evaluated [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 79 , 80 , 81 ]. The pattern of expression was heterogeneous, and expression was found in the cytoplasm, and on the nuclear and cell membrane [ 35 , 81 ].…”

SERUM LEVELS OF HEMOPOIETIC AND ANGIOGENESIS GROWTH FACTORS (IL-5, IL-7, IL-9, FGF-β, G-Csf, VEGF AND PDGF) IN WOMEN WITH UTERINE MYOMA

“…Более выраженная экспрессия VEGF была обнаружена в лейомиомах по сравнению с соседним миометрием, что указывает на то, что локальный ангиогенез может быть важным для развития и роста этих опухолей, причем экспрессия VEGF болеее выражена при лейомио саркоме по сравнению с лейомиомой. VEGF стимулирует ангиогенную активность, которая отвечает за активно растущие опухоли и может усилить рост миомы и прогрессирование заболевания при многих карциномах [2,9].…”