TY - JOUR
TI - Non-endothelial KDR/flk-1 expression is associated with increased
survival of patients with urothelial bladder carcinomas
AU - Gakiopoulou-Givalou, H
AU - Nakopoulou, L
AU - Panayotopoulou, EG and
AU - Zervas, A
AU - Mavrommatis, J
AU - Giannopoulos, A
JO - Diagnostic Histopathology
PY - 2003
VL - 43
TODO - 3
SP - 272-279
PB - Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
SN - 1756-2317
TODO - 10.1046/j.1365-2559.2003.01690.x
TODO - KDR/flk-1; urothelial bladder cancer; Ki67; Bcl-2; p53; survival;
non-endothelial expression
TODO - Aims: To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of KDR/flk-1 in
a series of 114 urothelial bladder carcinomas in relation to
clinicopathological parameters, Ki67, p53 and Bcl-2 protein expression
and patient survival. KDR/flk-1 is a high-affinity tyrosine kinase
receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), on vascular
endothelium. However, there is increasing evidence that KDR/flk-1 is
also expressed by normal non-endothelial and tumour cells.
Methods and results: Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin
sections using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Statistical
analysis was univariate (chi(2) log rank test) and multivariate (Cox’s
model). KDR/flk-1 expression was observed in the cytoplasm of cancerous
cells in 68.4% of cases. No statistically significant associations were
observed between KDR/flk-1 expression and grade or stage of urothelial
carcinomas, Ki67, p53 or Bcl-2 expression. In contrast, widespread
KDR/flk-1 expression in more than 50% of cancerous cells was associated
with increased survival, on univariate and multivariate analysis (P =
0.0119 and P = 0.042, respectively).
Conclusions: Although the biological significance of non-endothelial
KDR/flk-1 expression has not yet been elucidated, its association with
better patient survival may be related to the failure of non-endothelial
KDR/flk-1 to mediate angiogenic and mitogenic effects.
ER -