Angiogenic markers endoglin and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

作者：Kuiper Patricia^*; Hawinkels Lukas J A C; de Jonge Muller Eveline S M; Biemond Izak; Lamers Cornelis B H W; Verspaget Hein W

来源：World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2011, 17(2): 219-225.

DOI：10.3748/wjg.v17.i2.219

• Neuroendocrine tumor
• Carcinoid tumor
• Angiogenesis factors
• Endoglin
• Vascular endothelial growth factor

AIM: To investigate the expression and potential prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endoglin in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).
METHODS: Microvessel density (MVD) in GEP-NETs was evaluated using endoglin and CD31 immunohistochemistry. In addition, tissue levels of endoglin and VEGF were determined in homogenates by ELISA.
RESULTS: Endoglin was highly expressed on tumor endothelial cells. CD31 MVD in GEP-NETs was significantly higher compared to endoglin MVD (P < 0.01). Two- to four-fold higher tissue levels of endoglin and VEGF were seen in tumors compared to associated normal tissue. This increased endoglin tissue expression in tumors was significantly related to tumor size (P < 0.01), presence of metastases (P = 0.04), and a more advanced tumor stage (P = 0.02), whereas expression of VEGF was not.
CONCLUSION: We suggest that endoglin is a potential marker to indicate and predict metastases, which might be useful in the post-resection therapeutic approach of patients with GEP-NETs.

• 出版日期2011-1-14