Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to determine the relationship between angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation evaluated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) and to investigate the prognostic significance of the factors in them.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining for factor VIII related antigen, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and PCNA was performed using paraffin embedded blocks of 57 NSCLC cases. The results were correlated with some clinicopathologic parameters, including age, sex, TNM-T status, TNM-N status, stage, and histologic type.
RESULTS
Microvessel count (MC) was higher in squamous cell carcinoma group than in non-squamous cell carcinoma one (18.4+/-7.3 vs 14.6+/-9.9, p=0.043). PCNA index was higher in lymph node metastasis group than in non-metastasis one (42.1+/-8.9% vs 36.4+/- 14.6%, p=0.043). But the factors were not correlated with other clinicopathologic parameters. The relationship between VEGF expression and MC was significantly recognized (p=0.02), but that between VEGF expression and PCNA index was not. MC was positively correlated with PCNA index (r=0.547, p=0.005).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that both MC and PCNA index can be acted as useful indicators of prognosis in NSCLC, but tumor cell proliferation in NSCLC may be more concerned with any growth factor other than VEGF.

• Keywords: Non-small cell lung carcinoma;Microvessel count;PCNA index;VEGF