Abstract
Tumourigenesis in experimental models is associated with the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Recent studies have suggested that tumour angiogenic activity may be inferred in histological sections by measuring the density of the vasculature. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the transition from normal to dysplastic and neoplastic tissue in the oral mucosa is accompanied by quantitative or qualitative changes in the vascularity of the tissue, and how the estimate of vascularity is influenced by the vessel marker and method of assessment. A total of 100 specimens of normal oral mucosa, dysplastic lesions, and squamous cell carcinomas were examined. Sections were immunostained with the pan- endothelial antibodies to von Willebrand Factor (vWF) and CD31, or with an antibody to the a(v),ß integrin, previously reported to be a marker of angiogenic vessels. Vascularity was quantitated by two different methods: highest microvascular density (h-MVD) and microvascular volume, as determined by point counting (MVV). The results showed that vascularity, measured by the MVV method using antibodies to either vWF or CD31, increased significantly (P
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 39-43 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Pathology |
Volume | 183 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 1997 |
Keywords
- α(v)β3
- CD31
- Dysplasia
- Oral lesions
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Tumour progression
- Vascularity
- vWF