Clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of an angiogenic factor, thymidine phosphorylase, in human colorectal carcinoma

Background : Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is known to promote the development of new blood vessels, which are fundamental to tumor growth and metastasis. We previously found that thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) and PD-ECGF are the same protein. Purpose : We retrospectively examined the expression of dThdPase in primary colorectal carcinomas, its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic findings, and its prognostic value. Methods : Tissues were obtained from the tumors of 163 patients whose colorectal carcinomas were completely removed by surgery. Microvessels assessed by immunostaining endothelial cells for factor VIII were counted on a 400x field in the most active areas of neovascularization within the tumor. We purified the monoclonal antibody against dThdPase and studied the expression of dThdPase in the same serial sections used for the detection of factor VIII. Those who carried out microvessel counting and dThdPase expression assessment had no knowledge of clinicopathologic findings. The significance of dThdPase in the prognosis of patients with colorectal carcinomas was also examined in the survival analysis of mortality follow-up data covering the period between 1984 through 1991. Reported P values are from two-sided tests of statistical significance. Results : The mean microvessel count (± standard deviation) in dThdPase-positive colorectal carcinoma specimens (17.5 ± 7.2) was higher (P