Relationship Between Thymidine Phsphorylase Expression And Angiogenesis In Osteosarcoma

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between angiogenesis and thymidine phsphorylase/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor(TP/PD-ECGF) expression in osteosarcoma and their clinicopathological significance and its association with lung metastasis.METHODS: 54 cases with osteosarcoma tissue specimens were obtained from the pathology department of Lanzhou University First Hospital and Gansu Provincial Tumor Hospital between January 2003 and February 2007, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin. The expression of TP/PD-ECGF was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of tumor speciments from 54 patients with osteosarcoma. The microvessel density ( MVD ) was assessed by immunostaining with CD34 in the most neovascularized area(hot spots). Images were read and enlarged by research-level digital camera fluorescence microscope and entered into the computer. The data were entered into SPSS13.0 to proceed statistical analysis to find out the relationship between angiogenesis and TP/PD-ECGF expression in osteosarcoma and their clinicopathological significance.RESULTS: The positive rate of TP/PD-ECGF in 54 osteosarcoma specimens was 70.37% (37/54) .The mean microvessel count of TP/PD-ECGF strong-expression tumors was significantly higher than that of TP/PD-ECGF low-expression tumors (P=0.000) .The close correlation was found between TP/PD-ECGF expression and microvessel density (Rs=0.511, P=0.000). TP/PD-ECGF expression was remarkably correlated with lung metastasis in osteosarcoma (93.75%), was significantly higher than non-lung metastases in osteosarcoma (60.53%), the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) . In contrast, no association was found between TP/PD-ECGF expression and gender, age, size and location of tumor, osteosarcoma classification (P >0.05) .CONCLUSION: TP/PD-ECGF was overempressed in osteosarcoma. TP/PD-ECGF was signifieantly correlated with microvessel density, maybe one of importantangiogenic factors and play a role in lung metastasis in human osteosarcoma.