Relationship between microvessel quantification and inducibility of endogenous tumor necrosis factor in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Abstract

Although we have reported that the inducibility of endogenous tumor necrosis factor (en-TNF) by tumor cells is an independent prognostic factor in Dukes stage C colorectal cancer patients, the mechanism by which the patients having high inducibility of en-TNF show better prognosis is still unclear. We hypothesize that the inducibility of en-TNF by colorectal tumor cells affects the prognosis of patients through the modulation of angiogenesis. Thus, the aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between inducibility of en-TNF and tumor vascularity in colorectal cancer. Histological sections from 62 Dukes stage C colorectal cancer patients who received curative operation were immunostained for CD34 antigen. Microvessels were counted in the photograph of x200 fields (0.298 mm2). The average count of five most vascular areas was determined as a microvessel density of each case. Two of 62 cases were excluded from the analysis, because of insufficient staining. A total of 60 patients were dichotomized by a median vessel count of 34 into two groups: 30 patients with lower microvessel density (Low MVD group) and 30 patients with higher microvessel density (High MVD group). There was no significance in the distribution of all clinicopathological factors among these two groups. Regarding en-TNF inducibility, no difference was shown between the two groups. The five year survival rate of Low MVD group and High MVD group were 58.7% and 68.0%, respectively. And, the 5 year relapse-free survival rate of Low MVD group and High MVD group were 59.7% and 52.2%, respectively. No significant difference was demonstrated between Low MVD group and High MVD group. Intratumoral microvessel density did not influence on the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients in Dukes stage C after curative operation. The inducibility of en-TNF showed no correlation with intratumoral microvessel density in Dukes stage C patients after curative operation.