This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Millanta, F. Articles by Poli, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Millanta, F. Articles by Poli, A.

Correlation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression to Overall Survival in Feline Invasive Mammary Carcinomas

Department of Animal Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine (FM, GL, AP), Clinic Department, School of Veterinary Medicine (IV), and Department of Oncology (PV), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Samples from feline invasive mammary carcinomas (FMCs) were used to determine the prognostic significance of the immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD). Forty-eight queens bearing FMCs were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Mammary tumors were classified according to the World Health Organization system and graded on the basis of histologic criteria. Tumor sections were immunostained using anti-VEGF and anti–von Willebrand factor (vWf) antibodies. VEGF expression was quantified on the basis of the percentage of positive cells. MVD of vWf-positive microvessels was determined by both mean microvessel counts and highest microvessel counts. Normal mammary gland tissues showed an inconspicuous VEGF staining. In FMCs the proportion of VEGF-positive cells was significantly higher in papillary and solid carcinomas than in tubular and papillary cystic tumors. An increased number of cells expressing VEGF was also observed in poorly differentiated FMCS. Sixteen (33.3%) of the queens bearing invasive carcinomas were still alive at the end of the 2-year follow-up period, and 32 (66.7%) had died. The VEGF expression was significantly correlated with the clinical outcome, but no correlation was observed with the invasion of lymphatic vessels. A correlation between the higher percentage of VEGF-positive cells and the unfavorable prognosis was demonstrated by the estimation of curves for overall survival (P = 0.03). Univariate analysis showed that MVD did not correlate with the overall survival. The results of our study demonstrated that VEGF expression, although not associated with increased angiogenesis, is a prognostic indicator in feline mammary tumors. In contrast, there is no support for a role of neovascularization as an indicator of survivability.

Key words: Angiogenesis; cat; mammary carcinoma; microvessel density; prognosis; vascular endothelial growth factor.

Request reprints from Dr. Alessandro Poli, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Viale Delle Piagge, 2, I-56124 Pisa (Italy). E-mail: apoli{at}vet.unipi.it.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. H. Luong, K. E. Baer, D. M. Craft, S. N. Ettinger, T. J. Scase, and P. J. Bergman Prognostic significance of intratumoral microvessel density in canine soft-tissue sarcomas. Vet. Pathol., September 1, 2006; 43(5): 622 - 631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. De Maria, M. Olivero, S. Iussich, M. Nakaichi, T. Murata, B. Biolatti, and M. F. Di Renzo Spontaneous Feline Mammary Carcinoma Is a Model of HER2 Overexpressing Poor Prognosis Human Breast Cancer Cancer Res., February 1, 2005; 65(3): 907 - 912. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]