Uses of CD31 monoclonal antibody for the assessment of angiogenesis as a prognostic factor in gastric adenocarcinoma

Background &objectives: Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth, progress and the metastasis of solid tumors. This study was done to determine the significance of angiogenesis as another prognostic factor in gastric carcinoma in an attempt to identify the patients at high risk of recurrences after surgical therapy who may benefit from postoperative adjuvant therapy. In this study the correlation between the microvessel count(MVC) and the various clinicopathological factors was investigated. A highly significant statistical correlation was found between the mean microvessel count in different histological grades and the stage of gastric adenocarcinoma . No correlation was found between the MVC and the age and sex of the patients , the size, location and the macroscopical appearances of the tumors Patients and Methods: Fifty seven cases of gastric adenocarcinoma were reviewed from private pathology laboratories during the period between 2000-2002 , including 33 males and 24 females. The age ranged between 20-80 years ,the peak incidence was in the sixth decade . The specimens were formalin- fixed paraffin embedded, and the 5 microns thick sections were stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin stains .Immunohistological staining with CD 31 was performed on all sections. The microvessel count (MCV) was performed on the areas of the highest neovascularization i.e. hot spots. Five hot spots were selected the MVC was done under X200 magnification in light microscope .The relationship between the MVC and the various clinicopathological factors were assessed. ( Statistical analysis was done using SPSS system version 10.0 computer software. Student “T” and “F” test were used and the differences were regarded as significant when the P value was less than 0.05. Result:: Using CD 31 an endothelial cells marker monoclonal antibody shows that the MVC was 35 in well differentiated adenocarcinoma and 48.22 in the poorly differentiated tumors. In tumors with no serosal invasion the MVC was 26.5 while in case s with serosal invasion the MVC was 87.7. In cases of negative lymph nodes metastasis the MVC was 27.7 while in cases with positive lymph nodes metastasis the MVC was 43.56. Conclusion : Evaluation of angiogenesis by counting the microvessels using the monoclonal antibody CD 31 as an endothelial cell marker on tissue sections proved to be a helpful and a useful prognostic factor to predict the poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients.